The Constitutional Court of Korea held that Article 44-5 of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (Verification of Users Identity for Open Message Boards) was  unconstitutional as an excessive restraint on speech and an infringement of citizens' rights to freedom of expression, self-determination and private information and freedom of the press. The Court reasoned that while the Act's purpose to restrain illegal acts was legitimate, there were less restrictive ways that this could be achieved and that because of this, and the large amount of users targeted through the legislation, the Act was an excessive restraint. This case sets a precedent in expanding expression in South Korea and is a huge step forward for free speech activists