Your Digital Rights: How to Report Privacy Violations in Korean
Hello! This is Maeil Hangeul, here to upgrade your Korean skills to a professional level!
Today, we’re diving into a topic that’s more important than ever: digital privacy. Specifically, we’ll learn the advanced Korean vocabulary and phrases you need to write a formal report on privacy violations. This is an essential skill for university students, researchers, or anyone working in a professional setting in Korea.
Lately in Korea, there has been a lot of discussion about data breaches and the responsibility of tech companies. Mastering this topic won’t just improve your Korean; it will empower you to participate in crucial social conversations. Let’s get started!
Core Expressions for Your Report
Here are four key phrases that will form the backbone of any report on digital rights.
1. 권리를 침해하다 (gwonri-reul chimhae-hada)
* English Meaning: To infringe upon / to violate rights.
* Detailed Explanation: This is a formal and legalistic term, perfect for academic or official reports. 권리 (gwonri) means “rights,” and 침해하다 (chimhae-hada) is the verb “to infringe” or “violate.” You can specify the type of right, such as 사생활 권리 (sasanghwal gwonri) for the “right to privacy” or 인권 (ingwon) for “human rights.” This phrase carries significant weight and is used to formally state that a boundary has been crossed.
2. 개인정보 유출 (gaein-jeongbo yuchul)
* English Meaning: Personal information leakage / data breach.
* Detailed Explanation: This is the standard technical term you’ll see in news articles and official documents. It’s a compound noun: 개인정보 (gaein-jeongbo) means “personal information” (like your name, address, phone number), and 유출 (yuchul) means “leakage” or “spill.” When a company’s database is hacked, it’s a 개인정보 유출 사고 (sago – incident).
3. 심각성을 인지하다 (simgak-seong-eul inji-hada)
* English Meaning: To recognize / to be aware of the seriousness.
* Detailed Explanation: This is a sophisticated phrase used to establish the importance of the issue in your report. 심각성 (simgak-seong) means “seriousness” or “gravity,” and 인지하다 (inji-hada) is a formal verb for “to perceive” or “to recognize.” Using this phrase shows a high level of analytical thinking, for example: “우리는 이 사건의 심각성을 인지해야 합니다.” (We must recognize the seriousness of this incident.)
4. 재발 방지 대책을 촉구하다 (jaebal bangji daechaeg-eul chokgu-hada)
* English Meaning: To urge for countermeasures to prevent a recurrence.
* Detailed Explanation: This is a powerful phrase often used in the conclusion of a report or a formal statement. Let’s break it down:
* 재발 (jaebal): Recurrence
* 방지 (bangji): Prevention
* 대책 (daechaek): Countermeasure / solution
* 촉구하다 (chokgu-hada): To urge / to strongly demand
This phrase signals a call to action, demanding that responsible parties take concrete steps to ensure the problem doesn’t happen again.
Example Dialogue
Here’s how two university students, Min-jun (A) and Seo-yeon (B), might discuss their report assignment.
A: 서연 씨, 최근 SNS 플랫폼의 개인정보 유출 사건에 대한 뉴스 봤어요? 정말 심각한 것 같아요.
[Seo-yeon-ssi, choegeun SNS peullaespom-ui gaein-jeongbo yuchul sageon-e daehan nyuseu bwasseoyo? Jeongmal simgak-han geot gatayo.]
Seo-yeon, did you see the news about the recent social media platform’s data breach? I think it’s really serious.
B: 네, 봤어요. 우리 사회가 이 문제의 심각성을 인지하고, 사용자의 권리를 침해하는 행위에 대해 더 경각심을 가져야 해요.
[Ne, bwasseoyo. Uri sahoe-ga i munje-ui simgak-seong-eul inji-hago, sayongja-ui gwonri-reul chimhae-haneun haengwi-e daehae deo gyeonggaksim-eul gajyeoya haeyo.]
Yes, I did. Our society needs to recognize the seriousness of this problem and be more vigilant about actions that infringe upon users’ rights.
A: 맞아요. 보고서 결론에는 정부와 기업에 강력한 재발 방지 대책을 촉구하는 내용을 포함해야겠어요.
[Majayo. Bogoseo gyeollon-eneun jeongbu-wa gieob-e gangnyeok-han jaebal bangji daechaeg-eul chokgu-haneun naeyong-eul poham-haeyagesseoyo.]
Exactly. In our report’s conclusion, we should include content that urges the government and companies to implement strong countermeasures to prevent a recurrence.
B: 좋은 생각이에요. 그렇게 해서 우리의 의견을 명확하게 전달합시다.
[Joeun saenggak-ieyo. Geureoke haeseo uri-ui uigyeon-eul myeonghwak-hage jeondal-hapsida.]
That’s a great idea. Let’s convey our opinion clearly that way.
Culture Tip & Trend Deep Dive
In Korea, a country with one of the world’s highest rates of internet penetration, digital privacy is a hot-button issue. Following major data breaches, you’ll often see the term ‘디지털 장의사’ (dijiteol jang-uisa), or “digital undertaker,” trending online. These are professional services that help people erase their digital footprint—deleting old accounts, embarrassing posts, or leaked information. The popularity of this service highlights the public’s deep-seated anxiety about digital privacy.
While your report will use formal language, you might hear your Korean friends use the slang term ‘탈탈 털렸다’ (taltal teollyeotda) when talking about a data breach. It literally means “to be completely shaken out/cleaned out,” vividly expressing the feeling of having all your personal data stolen. Knowing both the formal term (개인정보 유출) and this casual slang will show your deep understanding of the Korean language and culture!
Wrap-up & Practice
Today, we learned four essential, high-level expressions for discussing and reporting on digital privacy violations:
* 권리를 침해하다 (to violate rights)
* 개인정보 유출 (data breach)
* 심각성을 인지하다 (to recognize the seriousness)
* 재발 방지 대책을 촉구하다 (to urge for preventative measures)
Now, it’s your turn to practice!
- Fill in the blanks using the expressions we learned today.
이번 해킹 사건은 수많은 사용자의 __________를 __________ 심각한 범죄이며, 우리는 이 사태의 __________고 즉각적인 __________야 한다.
(Hint: rights, violate, recognize the seriousness, urge for preventative measures) - Create your own sentence: Think of another social issue (e.g., environmental pollution, workplace safety) and write a sentence using the phrase 심각성을 인지하다.
Leave your answers in the comments below! We’d love to see you put these powerful expressions to use.
