Fake news is a growing issue in South Korea. (Image: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, March 14 (Korea Bizwire) – As the fake news phenomenon is taking the world by storm, South Korea is also feeling the effects of the dangerous media trend, with law enforcement agencies poised to intervene.
Five incidents of fake news are currently being investigated by the South Korean police after they reported 19 other cases to the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) recently.
Some of the fake news stories reported to the KCSC included fabricated pictures intended to look like they are from CNN with headlines such as “The North Korean army is heading to Cheong Wa Dae (Blue House),” or “U.S President Donald Trump won’t speak to Jeolla Province.”
Among the five cases of fake news currently being looked at by the KCSC is an online article that was published prior to the impeachment of former president Park Geun-hye, with deceitful statistics claiming most South Koreans didn’t want the Constitutional Court to uphold the impeachment.
Most surveys conducted before the Constitutional Court’s verdict showed an overwhelming majority of South Koreans supported the impeachment.
Fake news, which refers to the deliberate dissemination of misinformation on the Internet for political gains, dominated social media during the 2016 U.S. election.
The practice has since become a global issue that tends to become particularly prevalent during politically charged times such as elections or the run-up to an impeachment.
In preparation for the next presidential election, which is expected to be less than two months away, South Korean police will attend a meeting later this week held by the Republic of Korea National Election Commission to discuss possible ways to apply the Public Official Election Act to fake news.
Fake news, which refers to the deliberate dissemination of misinformation on the Internet for political gains, dominated social media during the 2016 U.S. election.(Image courtesy of Pixabay)
Hyunsu Yim (hyunsu@koreabizwire.com)
