Rival parties spar over DP proposal to punish fake news on KakaoTalk
Published: 12 Jan. 2025, 18:07
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- MICHAEL LEE
- [email protected]
![Members of the Democratic Party's Supreme Council watch a presentation by Rep. Jeon Yong-gi on how to report fake news at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 6. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/12/aa6b66ce-df03-45a7-934d-8cde0e6b3f90.jpg)
Members of the Democratic Party's Supreme Council watch a presentation by Rep. Jeon Yong-gi on how to report fake news at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Jan. 6. [NEWS1]
Korea's rival parties butted heads on Sunday over a Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker's recent proposal to criminalize the dissemination of fake news on KakaoTalk, the country's most widely used messaging application.
The proposal by Rep. Jeon Yong-gi has been criticized by the conservative People Power Party (PPP) as an attempt to excessively censor online speech.
In comments to reporters at the National Assembly on Sunday, DP spokesperson Rep. Cho Seoung-lae argued that “there is a clear need to come up with stern measures to counter organized efforts to spread fake news” as he defended Jeon’s proposal.
The proposal targets messages criticizing the DP-led impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.
On Friday, Jeon filed criminal complaints against six YouTubers on charges of trying to incite an insurrection by broadcasting what he characterized as misleading information regarding Yoon’s suspension and official efforts to take him into custody.
Jeon said he plans to file criminal complaints against “even ordinary people who help distribute such fake news.”
The DP spokesperson noted that Yoon repeatedly called for measures to rein in fake news, usually in reference to reports critical of himself or his administration.
Cho also denied that Jeon’s proposal was intended to introduce political censorship to KakaoTalk, noting that such a task would be “impossible for investigative agencies to execute, let alone the DP.”
He said the DP lawmaker’s suggestion was rather intended as a warning to those “who distribute fake news” that “they could be held accountable for spreading misinformation if they are reported to the authorities.”
He further called on the PPP to “refrain from twisting [the DP’s] words” and cooperate with the party's efforts to combat fake news.
However, the PPP has claimed that Jeon’s proposal is an “unconstitutional announcement that would restrict people’s freedom of political belief and expression.”
In a statement released Sunday, PPP spokesperson Rep. Seo Ji-young said Jeon’s proposal “goes beyond censorship to enforce conformity to the DP’s viewpoints” and represents “a desire to prevent people from raising any doubts that go against the DP’s claims.”
The PPP spokesperson also said that Jeon’s announcement that he could file criminal complaints against ordinary people who share fake news “would usher in a reign of terror against freedom of expression and political beliefs.”
BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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