Seoul – A group of subscribers has commenced collective legal action against Korean telco hanarotelecom for alleged unauthorized sale of subscribers’ personal information.

20 former and current employees including hanarotelecom’s former CEO are facing charges of transferring 83.5 million pieces of personal data including addresses, social security numbers and telephone numbers to some 1,000 telemarketing firms between January 2006 and December 2007.

According to local media reports, the amount of damages sought is in the region of KRW1million (US$1,000) and the cost of the lawsuit is KRW10,000 (US$10) per person. Law firms across the country are understood to be in the process of gathering victims through online communities.

While hanarotelecom contended that it specified in small print that customers’ personal information may be used for marketing purposes, the police argued for the marketing firms to be listed on the telco’s service contracts with customers.

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