Mobile Phones to Announce "You've Been Indicted"

South Koreans may look at their mobile phones with some trepidation in
the new year because prosecutors will start telling people they have
been indicted via text messages, an official said Monday.

In a country where about 75 percent of the population carries mobile
phones, prosecutors felt it was time to move away from sending legal
notices on paper and send them electronically instead, said Lee
Young-pyo, an administrative official.

"Most people in South Korea have mobile phones and since the notices
don't reach them immediately by regular mail, this is a more definite
way for the individuals to know they have received a legal notice,"
Lee said.

The indictments by text messages are not intended to take people by
surprise. "People will receive a text message of a legal notice only
after they apply for the service," he said.

Prosecutors expect to save about 160 million won ($158,000) a year by
shifting to the service and reducing the number of legal notices it
sends through the mail.

Other notices that will be sent by text messages include information
on fines and penalties.

The service starts Tuesday but will be fully implemented in 2006.

Copyright 2005 Reuters Limited.

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