Police Launch Investigation into 'Fake News on COVID-19 Lists and Confirmed Cases'... "Swift Tracking, Strict Response"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The police have launched an investigation into illegal activities related to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), such as the secret trading of personal information of 2 million people online under the name "Corona List" and the indiscriminate spread of false confirmed case numbers. ▶Refer to Asia Economy's November 20 report <[Exclusive] "Selling Corona List"... 2 Million Personal Information Records Circulating>

On the 22nd, the National Police Agency announced that it plans to take strict measures by launching internal and external investigations into the recent spread of false confirmed COVID-19 case numbers and the leakage of visitor logs.

First, regarding reports that visitor logs, which are mandatorily filled out when entering multi-use facilities such as restaurants, have been illegally traded online, the police designated the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency as the lead investigative agency and began internal and external investigations. The police are securing information on those involved in the illegal trading and plan to swiftly conduct follow-up investigations by obtaining search and seizure warrants.

Additionally, after incidents of "fake news" occurred, such as posts on internet communities that included text messages presumed to be internal notices from medical institutions along with false claims that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeded 400, the Seoul Seodaemun Police Station was designated as the lead investigative agency. The police are tracing the dissemination route of the false messages through related individuals and are investigating the original distributors by analyzing related materials upon request from the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH).

A police official stated, "We are continuously monitoring online for the spread of false information and leaked personal data and verifying illegal activities through health authorities," adding, "We are collaborating with related organizations such as the CDSCH and the Korea Communications Standards Commission to take necessary measures such as deletion and blocking."

Meanwhile, as of the 20th of this month, the police have detected 130 cases of false information related to COVID-19 and arrested 204 individuals. They have also identified 40 cases of personal information leakage involving 65 people. Currently, 94 cases are under investigation. The police have declared a strict response policy, pursuing not only the original producers of COVID-19-related fake news but also malicious intermediate distributors.