THE death of a high school student after images of her taking ice cream from an unmanned store circulated among local teenagers has triggered a new public debate over privacy.
According to local reports, the 18-year-old, identified as Lee, was found dead at her home in the eastern city of Hongseong on Sept 23, just a few days after the store owner sent images of her stealing to a local tutoring room.
The photos were then shared with students there and circulated among teenagers in the region.
She reportedly suffered extreme anxiety due to the situation.
Lee sent text messages to friends, saying “What do I do ... my heart is shaking”, “How can I show my face in Hongseong?”.
Her brother said she also confided in him on the night of Sept 22, saying she didn’t know how to move forward.
Their mother planned to meet the store owner the next day to resolve the matter, but Lee died by suicide the following morning.
The family has filed complaints with police, accusing the unmanned store owner of violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization.
The head of the study room who shared the photos is also accused of violating information communication laws.
Lee’s father said his daughter “became the target of ridicule and humiliation because of illegally distributed CCTV images”, adding that she collapsed under “fear and despair”.
Police are investigating the image leak and the family’s allegations. — The Korea Herald/ANN
