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Guideline on Installation and Operation of a CCTV in a Mental Institution [2005] KRNHRC 1 (1 January 2005)

The victim, who has partial paralysis from polio, consumed alcohol 3~4 times a month.
Although he did not show any symptom of alcoholism, he was detained at Hospital
in Daegu for assaulting his family under the chronic use of alcohol. The hospital
falsified a record of ECG examination that was never conducted. The hospital also
practiced unlawful admission and discharge procedures. It installed CCTV in every
room and bathroom to monitor patients for 24 hours a day, which was a clear violation
of the patients' privacy. The hospital also unreasonably limited correspondences
and interfered with the patients who tried to file petitions with the Commission.

The Commission's investigation confirmed that there are serious problems associated
with the installation and operation of CCTV in the hospital, and the procedure of
admission and discharge of patients; and that the hospital impede patients from filing a
petition with the Commission. The patients' private information could be collected,
processed and disseminated through installing and operating CCTV without guidelines
on protecting patients' privacy, which could lead to serious privacy violation problems.
The Commission recommended the Minister of Health and Welfare to develop a legal
basis and a guideline on the installation and operation of CCTV in mental institutions.
The hospital was recommended to
1) minimize the CCTV operation until the legal basis could be established;
2) to change the admission and discharge procedures;
3) and to install a petition box in which patients could file petitions.
The Commission recommended the local government to issue a warning to the hospital. The local
government accordingly issued a warning against the hospital and is in the process of
preparing a legal basis for installation and operation of CCTV.