An amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection that imposes punitive damages of up to five times on news outlets or YouTubers that distributed false or fabricated information passed the National Assembly.
This is aimed at online disinformation campaign and conspiracy theory YouTubers, which has shook 1987 system through 2024 South Korean constitutional crisis. Former President Yoon Suk-Yoel got brainrotted after watching too much conspiracy theory YouTubers and declared martial law. These conspiracy theory YouTubers, who are funded by CPAC, incited far-right riots such as “Jan 19 riot in Western District court of Seoul” or “Charlie Kirk xenophobia riots”.
The government already jailed some of these conspiracy YouTubers over Jan 19 riot and put the rest on the watchlist. But, DPK believed that further actions are needed to dismantle “online insurrection network” and pushed for this punitive law against YouTubers.
But, the issue is that this law indirectly affects traditional media outlets like TV and newspapers, too. So, the journalist union are demanding the law to be more narrowed down in executive level. They fear few blurry clauses could be abused to go after press freedom and demanding the decriminalization of “fact-based defamation”, an ancient draconian law often abused to shut up journalist.
The government promised follow up legislations to decriminalize “fact-based defamation” and that law is passing through subcommittees at the moment. The balancing out press freedom and countering disinformation is difficult.
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An amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection that imposes punitive damages of up to five times on news outlets or YouTubers that distributed false or fabricated information passed the National Assembly.
This is aimed at online disinformation campaign and conspiracy theory YouTubers, which has shook 1987 system through 2024 South Korean constitutional crisis. Former President Yoon Suk-Yoel got brainrotted after watching too much conspiracy theory YouTubers and declared martial law. These conspiracy theory YouTubers, who are funded by CPAC, incited far-right riots such as “Jan 19 riot in Western District court of Seoul” or “Charlie Kirk xenophobia riots”.
The government already jailed some of these conspiracy YouTubers over Jan 19 riot and put the rest on the watchlist. But, DPK believed that further actions are needed to dismantle “online insurrection network” and pushed for this punitive law against YouTubers.
But, the issue is that this law indirectly affects traditional media outlets like TV and newspapers, too. So, the journalist union are demanding the law to be more narrowed down in executive level. They fear few blurry clauses could be abused to go after press freedom and demanding the decriminalization of “fact-based defamation”, an ancient draconian law often abused to shut up journalist.
The government promised follow up legislations to decriminalize “fact-based defamation” and that law is passing through subcommittees at the moment. The balancing out press freedom and countering disinformation is difficult.