[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] As local infections of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread, the number of 'fake news' with unknown sources has also surged.
According to the police on the 20th, various posts titled 'Patient 47's movement route' circulated before the announcement of Patient 47 was made, including claims that 58 smishing damage reports related to COVID-19 had been filed at a police station in Daegu.
These posts stated that Patient 47 was a 32-year-old male, but in reality, the patient was a 63-year-old female, and among the additionally confirmed patients, there were no individuals in their 30s. Furthermore, there was not a single smishing damage report filed at the said police station. Although it was ultimately confirmed that all of these were fake news, significant confusion arose in online communities and elsewhere.
As such indiscriminate spread of fake news occurred, the police, who announced a strict response policy, also went on high alert. According to the National Police Agency, as of the previous day, there were 61 ongoing investigations into false fabricated information and personal information leakage cases, which is more than three times the number from two weeks ago. The number of arrests reached 43, and 232 posts were removed. Moreover, with the occurrence of confirmed cases in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, there is even a forecast that various fake news targeting specific regions and religions will increase further.
The police are operating a dedicated countermeasure situation room, monitoring fake news, and correcting factual inaccuracies, but the response is not easy. Once fake news starts appearing on SNS and internet communities, it spreads rapidly. In particular, fake news about patient movement routes can paralyze local businesses or cause a surge in inquiries from residents, hindering the quarantine authorities' efforts. National Police Agency Commissioner Min Gap-ryong personally stated, "Since such types of false fabricated information cause significant adverse effects to the extent that various livelihood activities in the community suffer disruptions, we have taken measures to conduct focused investigations."
The police repeatedly emphasized that they will track and arrest not only the original distributors of fake news but also intermediate distributors. A police official said, "The spread of fake news can cause serious public anxiety and social confusion," and added, "We ask the public to exercise special caution to prevent its spread."
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