The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday it has notified internet service providers (ISPs) of its "first emergency block orders" targeting a total of 34 copyright-infringing websites. ISPs that receive the orders will block user access to the sites.
The ministry said it selected the sites as the first targets of emergency blocking based on criteria specified in the revised Copyright Act, including the clarity of the illegality, the urgency of preventing harm, and the absence of other remedies. The list includes Newtoki, which has recently repeated voluntary shutdowns and reopenings.
Blocking user access is considered the fastest and most effective administrative response to illegal websites. Under the previous Copyright Act, the government lacked such authority and had to rely on access-blocking measures through deliberation and resolution by the Korea Communications Standards Commission to address copyright damage caused by illegal sites operated on a large and organized scale.
With the emergency blocking and access blocking systems under the revised Copyright Act taking full effect on Tuesday, the ministry said it will closely monitor trends among illegal sites, including the creation of mirror sites, starting with this first emergency block order. It plans to expand the number of sites subject to emergency blocking and accelerate the speed of access blocking.
Culture Minister Choi Hwi-young visited the Korea Copyright Protection Agency the same day to share his resolve to respond strongly to illegal websites and to encourage staff in charge, the ministry said.
