▲ The DIKE team won the grand prize at a mock trial for 'Personal Information Protection Act.' (Photo from DIKE)​

On August 25, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) held a mock trial competition regarding the protection of personal information at the Moot Court at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU). Kim Jeong-yeon, Kim Dong-hyun, Kim Hyun-bin (Dept. of Law) of Dankook University (DKU), and four others from Myongji University (MU) participated in the contest as ‘DIKE.’ They were awarded the grand prize after an evaluation by a committee composed of members of the legal profession.

   The PIPC organized the mock trial competition to raise public awareness of current issues in personal information protection and to nurture talented people with comprehensive legal and technological knowledge. The subject was 'Incidents of Personal Information Leakage during the Use of Open Market Platforms and Cloud Services. This contest drew participants from 38 teams representing 27 university law departments and law schools. Following the preliminary evaluation, three teams advanced to the final round: the Law School from SKU, Seoul National University, and the Dept. of Law from DKU&MU. Team Dike was awarded the grand prize and 2 million won, after defeating two of the most prestigious law school teams in Korea. The three teams received guidance from industry mentors such as Google, Coupang, and Kakao Mobility to enhance the completeness of their arguments. Ko Hak-su, the PIPC high commissioner, stated, "In the era of digital transformation, we initiated the mock trial competition for the first time since the establishment of the commission to raise understanding among the general public and businesses regarding legal issues related to personal information protection. We positively evaluate the in-depth debates conducted by students from universities nationwide in this competition and plan to hold it regularly every year”.

   

▲ A Grand Prize Award Certificate (Photo from DIKE)

The Dankook Herald (DKH) met our proud winners for an interview at DKU on September 13.

1. First of all, congratulations on your big awards. Could all of you please share your impressions of the award?

Kim Dong-hyun: I have memories of being exhausted from numerous meetings, but it was a gratifying experience achieved through the hard work of all the team members. I am so grateful to the professors at MU and the academic and promotional teams at DKU. We participated in the competition quietly without announcement. But everyone found out and congratulated us, even putting up banners. We are very grateful for everyone’s support.

 Kim Jung-yeon: Since every teammate was doing part-time jobs and other activities, we held meetings from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Everyone participated wholeheartedly, and the mentoring from the Professor at MU and the legal team at Coupang was immensely helpful. I want to express my gratitude to them.

 Kim Hyun-bin: At the beginning of the competition, I started with a light-hearted attitude, but there were many challenging moments. We held a total of over 80 meetings, and there were times when the atmosphere became intense. However, everyone put in much more effort than their assigned tasks required, which I believe led to our success. It's great that each person gave their best in their respective roles and achieved good results.

 

2. What was the reason for your participation in the mock trial competition on personal data protection?

Kim Jung-yeon: First and foremost, most members of our team aspire to attend law school. They participated in this competition with the thought that the process of preparing a memorandum, drafting pleadings, and engaging in debates could serve as a professional experience that could be beneficial for those aiming for law school admission. Additionally, the process of striving to produce results that align as closely as possible with a client's demands as a lawyer was seen as a motivating factor for achieving future goals.

3. What challenges did you encounter during the process?

 Kim Hyun-bin: We prepared for the competition, during the vacation with a total of 7 team members. We faced difficulties in conducting face-to-face meetings due to everyone's busy schedules. In particular, all the crucial meetings, such as setting the major direction for the competition, were held remotely. To accommodate everyone's availability, we often started meetings around midnight and continued until 2 or 3 a.m. However, despite the late hours, all team members passionately participated in the meetings. We dedicated a lot of time and energy to brainstorming creative legal arguments and reviewing them together.

4. Is there a particular process or moment that stands out the most for you while preparing for the mock trial competition?

 Kim Dong-hyun: It wasn't part of the competition preparation process, but after it ended, it was quite gratifying to hear students from other law school teams assume that we were law school students like them as if it were a given.

▲ The Dankook Herald is interviewing the DIKE team at Dankook University Cafe. (Photo from Dankook Herald)

5. What were the major academic disciplines or areas of knowledge that helped prepare for the competition?

 Kim Dong-hyun: Since I had recently returned to school, I prepared for the competition with limited time. Additionally, there were no courses in my major that covered the Personal Information Protection Act. Besides seeking advice from the IT Information Protection Act’s professors, there was no specific curriculum that could help. Nevertheless, what did prove helpful was that the competition itself focused on civil litigation, so what I learned from Civil Procedure, as well as the process of drafting and responding to pleadings, proved beneficial.

6. Is there any new competencies or value that the ‘DIKE’ team gained through participation and awarding in this competition?

 Kim Jung-yeon: Our ability to analyze cases has improved significantly. Initially, I thought it would be relatively easy, but as I studied more, I realized it was challenging. During the process, we started thinking deeply about cases, not just on the surface, and our consideration of potential precedents became more profound.

7. What career aspirations do the members of the ‘DIKE’ team have in mind individually?

 Kim Dong-hyun: Originally, I had a career goal in law enforcement as a police officer. Currently, while studying law, I've developed a stronger interest in pursuing a legal career. I hope to join a legal team or a large law firm, preferably as a legal clerk.

Kim Jung-yeon: I aspire to attend law school or join a corporate legal department.
Kim Hyun-bin: I have aspirations to attend law school or become a correctional officer in the public sector.

▲ The DIKE team won the grand prize at a mock trial for 'Personal Information Protection Act.' (Photo from DIKE)​

   The DKH congratulates DIKE on winning the grand prize. This contest provided an opportunity for ‘DKIE’ not only to acquire legal knowledge but also to apply that knowledge in practical situations. DKU continues to produce many talented people and the DKH looks forward to seeing even more talented people in DKU as DIKE's success sets a promising precedent.

이진희, 윤희원, 박상우  dankookherald@gmail.com