Naver, which operates South Korea’s most widely used portal website, has come under fire for removing certain “relevant search words” on its search engine, in what experts see is a value judgment between privacy protection and citizens’ “right to know.”

The news comes just months after Naver admitted to removing a negative article about a local sports organization from its main news tab upon the body’s request, sparking concerns over the internet giant’s transparency.

According to a 2016 report by the Korea Internet Self-governance Organization recently publicized by the local media, Naver deleted around 15,584 “relevant search words” and 23,217 “recommended search words” during October and November 2016.

The removals were carried out either on the request of individuals involved or at the independent discretion of Naver. Included in the list of deletions were terms related to the Choi Soon-sil scandal, which led to the removal of former president Park Geun-hye from office last year. 

The KISO review board pointed out that removing certain related keywords on the request of a public individual or company may clash with the public’s fundamental right to know.

For instance, Naver deleted the related search words “Kim Dong-seon” and “Chung Yoo-ra dressage” on the request of Kim Dong-seon, a professional dressage player and the third son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-yeon.

Chung Yoo-ra -- the daughter of former President Park’s confidante Choi -- and Kim Dong-seon both won a gold medal in the team dressage competition during the Incheon Asian Games in 2014.

“Given there were several allegations as well as an ongoing investigation on Chung Yoo-ra, a figure at the center of the Choi Soon-sil scandal, removing such related search words could spark controversy,” the KISO review board said in its evaluation.

Moreover, Naver deleted keywords including “Park Geun-hye 7-hour cosmetic procedures” and “Park Geun-hye drug abuse,” deeming they were based on rumors. The KISO board said the reasons for the removal should be categorized as “defamation” rather than “others.”

KISO further noted that Naver has been more lenient compared to before in taking down keywords considered controversial. It advised the internet giant to adopt stricter standards in deciding its relevant search word removals.

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)