[Kwon Seong-min Column] Why does power that claims to be for the people take away the people's freedom?

South Korea’s Constitutional Court struck down the internet real-name verification system in 2012, ruling that mandatory identity checks on message boards violated freedom of expression and informational self-determination and that evidence the rule meaningfully curbed illegal content was insufficient. The court’s decision followed the system’s introduction as a response to malicious comments and false information. A parallel case came with the game shutdown system, which from 2011 barred users under 16 from playing internet games between midnight and 6 a.m. before being abolished in 2022 after persistent questions over its effectiveness. Both episodes illustrate how policies framed as protecting the public can end up restricting individual liberty, and the column argues that such rules need clearer evidence of benefit and stronger respect for personal choice. The debate matters for how Seoul weighs future regulation of online speech and platform behavior, with the burden of proof on those seeking new restrictions.