C. Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) and Human Rights Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) and Human Rights have received an increasing amount of attention both internationally and domestically along with the enactment of the Personal Informational Protection Act in Korea. Under such circumstances, the NHRCK inserted the improvement of the human rights with regard to ICTs into its 3rd phase Action Plan with the objectives of i) monitoring the implementation of a comprehensive report on ICTs and human rights, ii) promoting institutional improvements and establishing a standard for privacy protection, iii) developing measures to create a human rights-friendly online culture, and iv) seeking reasonable measures to resolve the digital divide. At the 12th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights, the Commission discussed the current status of human rights with regard to ICTs in Korea and the international standards, and proposed guidelines after holding comprehensive and systematic discussions on the human rights issues that may arise in our information society. Also, the Commission conducted a survey of cyber investigations and digital evidence collection in order to determine the human rights violations that are considered the product of advances in IT and such cyber investigation techniques, and discussed countermeasures to address the challenge. The Commission concluded its report on information-related human rights by participating on the Committee on the Human Rights to Information as well as in related forums and meetings, and ultimately contributed to promoting discussions on the issue across the society. Recently, the number of personal information leaks originating at public and private organizations has been continuously on the rise as has the scope of the damage. Accordingly, the NHRCK plans to come up with measures that will prevent the privacy invasion that results when personal data is leaked and large volumes of data are handled. Introduction 29