The sudden demise of actor Lee Sun-kyun, who was under police investigation for alleged drug use, has sent shockwaves through South Korean society. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – The sudden demise of actor Lee Sun-kyun, who was under police investigation for alleged drug use, has sent shockwaves through South Korean society. Instances of such tragic conclusions are sadly not isolated.
Lee reportedly struggled with psychological distress, exacerbated by the release of call recordings from his private life, unrelated to the ongoing investigation. The day before his passing, a YouTube channel shared this private recording under the sensational title of “shock video,” drawing public criticism.
In 2019, singer and actress Sulli (real name Choi Sulli) faced a similar fate following relentless malicious comments. Tragically, other athletes and internet personalities have also succumbed to the pressures of public scrutiny.
Experts note that celebrities and public figures, due to their visibility, are more susceptible to the impact of rumors and reports. The current media landscape, where the lines between news producers and consumers are blurred, has fostered an environment encouraging unwarranted disclosure of personal information and rumors.
“Celebrities are more prone to ‘witch hunts’ than non-celebrities,” remarks Kwak Keum-joo, a psychology professor at Seoul National University. False information about a person’s private life, unrelated to the actual incident, circulated through social media puts them under immense psychological pressure.
Yoo Hyun-jae, a professor of Journalism and Strategic Communication at Sogang University, emphasizes the devastating impact of gossip news on individuals whose reputation is crucial. Proactive measures and reactive punishments are suggested to curb media consumption behaviors that socially attack individuals.
“It is necessary to establish a precedent for responsible reporting by imposing severe penalties on media companies reporting unrelated information or pseudo-media such as certain YouTube channels,” suggests Yoo.
Park Dong-geun, head of the deliberation room at the Korea Press Ethics Commission, acknowledges the practical challenge of sanctioning unconfirmed reports on celebrities. He contemplates the potential use of big data as an alternative to manual sanctions.
Recognizing the impossibility of regulating all diverse information distribution channels, citizens are urged to exercise self-regulation. “Citizens should exercise caution when sharing information on media and social media,” advises Kwak. “Our aim should be a mature society that refrains from consuming sensational and peripheral articles.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
