Welcome to BASE21

Every year millions of Koreans that turn 18 have to head toward their local town offices and fill out several forms to receive a Proof of Citizen's Registration Card. There are no benefits that can be received for having this card, such as proof that you are eligible to drive, or social benefits after you retire (such as a driver's licence or a social security card). There are 141 items of information that the government holds on all the citizens of Korea due to this Proof of Citizen's Registration Card, including fingerprints from all 10 fingers. It is solely for the benefit of the government since it eases control over, and surveillance of the citizens. In fact, it is exactly this 'control,' and 'surveillance' that was the original purpose of the Proof of Citizen's Registration Card. Former president and military dictator Park Jung-Hee started the program and justified it by announcing it was to track down and apprehend spies and criminals. Everyone is considered a potential criminal and spy in Korea to this day.
The government has gone further and announced that everyone now must head back to their local government offices and participate in the computerization of all information the government holds on it's citizens. Citizens will now get new plastic cards (instead of the plastic coated ones) and will be forced to computerize all 10 of their fingerprints into government computers.
The registration card has long been the subject of criticism for it's violation of human rights and freedoms, as well as it's undemocratic nature. In most of the countries of the world, keeping fingerprints of individuals on record is limited to those with criminal records. There has even been diplomatic tension between Japan and Korea in the past because the Japanese government was keeping fingerprints of Koreans living in Japan on record (the Japanese government relented and now no such policy exists). It is ironic that a policy which when as far as to create tension between states is still being enforced in our country. It is a remnant of past authoritarian and anti-human rights dictatorships that must be cleansed from our society. But instead of improving the system the government is proceeding to make it worse. It now will be easier for government organizations and government personnel to access information on individuals.
Perhaps the very basic thought behind the human rights movement is that everyone has the right to be free from outside surveillance, the right to their own personal space and time. Just as we shudder at Orwell's vision of a totalitarian world with surveillance cameras and speakers in every room, and just as we all become enraged when our privacy is invaded, this basic thought behind human rights is one that is shared by all. The Korean government already owns 141 items of information on all it's citizens above the age of 18 that it can access at any time. Citizens of Korea are already living in a partly Orwellian world. Now the government seeks to ease and facilitate access to the information. The government has held no talks with the people about the change, have not opened up their ears to opinions on how to improve the anti-human rights and undemocratic system. It is time it did so.
Now 'No Fingerprints Campaign' is going on by many citizen & social movement organizations. Please give your solidarity with them. You can write solidarity message in the following web site. http://fprint.jinbo.net