Kang Hoon-sik: "Makeshift Responses Not Enough for Digital Sex Crime Materials"…Blue House Forms Task Force

Senior Secretary Meeting Presided by Chief of Staff
"Concerns Over Severe Heatwave This Year"
Orders for Early Operation of Cooling Shelters and Safety Management for Outdoor Workers
On Repetitive Civil Complaints:
"Shift to Institutio

Kang Hoon-sik, Chief Presidential Secretary, on May 25 directed the formation of a Blue House-level task force (TF) to address the issues of illegal sports streaming sites and the distribution of digital sex crime materials, stating that piecemeal solutions can no longer sufficiently protect the public. He also called for measures to safeguard vulnerable groups from heat-related illnesses, expressing concerns about a stronger heatwave this year compared to previous years.

Kang Hoon-sik, Chief Secretary, is briefing on the core achievements and promotion plans for 'Enhancing Public Service Competency' at the Blue House Press Center on April 29, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

According to Blue House Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong, Kang presided over the senior aides' meeting at the Blue House in the afternoon and stated, "The problems of illegal sports streaming sites and the distribution of digital sex crime materials continue to recur, yet government responses remain stopgap measures without fundamental solutions." Illegal sports streaming sites lure users into illegal gambling by offering free viewing, and it was revealed that reports of illegal sports gambling exceeded 20,000 cases in 2024 alone.

Kang also called for strong measures against the spread of digital sex crime materials. He pointed out, "It has been revealed that more than 70% of digital sex crime materials remain accessible through bypass methods even after blocking measures are implemented," and emphasized that simply blocking or focusing on post-removal is not sufficient to prevent the spread of damage.

He continued, "A fundamental solution that changes the structure itself is needed," and instructed, "Immediately establish a task force within the Blue House offices of Civil Affairs, Social Affairs, Communications, and AI Future Planning, and prepare practical and concrete response measures and report them."

Response to heatwaves was also a major agenda item at the meeting. Kang noted that a heat-related death occurred as early as May 15, the earliest on record, and warned that, due to the effects of El Niño, a much stronger heatwave than usual is expected this year.

Kang also mentioned that President Lee Jaemyung visited a Seoul urban shantytown last week to examine the living conditions of elderly residents, stressing that "Vulnerable groups are the first and most deeply affected by heatwaves," and urged all ministries to take proactive measures. He requested that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety expand and operate cooling shelters earlier, and instructed the Ministry of Employment and Labor to inspect safety guidelines and ensure thorough on-site management for outdoor workers. He further called on all ministries to do their utmost to prevent avoidable casualties.

Meanwhile, the issue of administrative burden caused by repeated civil complaints was also discussed. According to the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, from 2021 to 2025, a total of 41.52 million civil complaints were filed through the National Petition Portal across 243 local governments nationwide. There was even a case where a single individual filed 46,669 complaints in one year.

Kang stated, "Since civil complaints are someone's earnest stories and valuable voices, public officials must listen and respond sincerely," but also expressed concern that "A very small minority of indiscriminate, repeated complaints places an excessive burden on frontline officials." He particularly pointed out, "When excessive administrative resources are devoted to handling repeated complaints, essential administrative services for the majority of citizens, such as support for vulnerable groups, are delayed."

Accordingly, Kang stressed the need for more efficient allocation of administrative resources and requested that the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission prepare institutional improvement measures. He instructed, "Review transitioning to a system where organizations, not individual public officials, handle indiscriminate repeated complaints, and consider unifying response channels under a conflict resolution officer."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.