A Flood of 'Hakpok Me Too'... Spreading False Information Is Another Form of Violence

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[Asia Economy Reporters Yoo Byung-don and Jung Dong-hoon] As the Me Too movement against school violence (hakpok) triggered in the sports world spreads to the entertainment industry and the general public, concerns are also emerging about side effects caused by false accusations.

As of the 19th, the number of participants in the Blue House national petition related to the school violence controversy involving volleyball players and twin sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young (25) is approaching 130,000 in just one week. The sisters were indefinitely suspended from their club team Heungkuk Life and the national team on the 15th, and Me Too accusations of school violence against male professional volleyball players as well as players in other sports such as basketball and baseball continue to surface.

With the development of online communities such as Nate Pann, the epicenter of the hakpok Me Too movement, and social networking services (SNS), revelations of school violence Me Too accusations are pouring out like a flood. Since most school violence incidents occurred in the past, many cases only have the victim’s claims without clear evidence, making proper punishment difficult until now. However, thanks to immediate “public judgment,” retribution beyond legal punishment has become possible. Accordingly, the trend of hakpok Me Too accusations is spreading not only in sports but also in the entertainment industry and among the general public. While this has the positive effect of raising awareness about the long-standing social problem of school violence, some raise concerns about potential side effects caused by indiscriminate hakpok Me Too accusations. There are warnings that spreading false information or distorted memories could create innocent victims.

In fact, on the 16th, the author of a Me Too post accusing actor Jo Byung-kyu of school violence on an online community admitted the post was false within a day. The post claimed Jo verbally abused a schoolmate during his study abroad in New Zealand, but Jo’s side called it a “malicious rumor” and requested a police investigation, after which the author admitted the post was false and pleaded for leniency.

These concerns recall the 2018 nationwide Me Too movement against sexual violence. At that time, singer Kim Heung-guk and poet Park Jin-sung were barely cleared of charges after police investigations into false Me Too accusations. However, due to the fallout from the false accusations, Park Jin-sung suffered various disadvantages such as the cancellation of his poetry book publishing contract and repeatedly posted messages implying extreme choices, continuing to express his distress.

False Me Too accusations are subject to strict legal penalties. In addition to charges of false accusation, even cases that actually occurred may be punishable under defamation laws depending on circumstances. While the courageous voices of victims should not be suppressed, experts advise caution. Professor Yoo Hong-sik of the Department of Media Communication at Chung-Ang University emphasized, “It is necessary to consider the approach to disclosures on online communities and elsewhere,” adding, “We need to examine whether the disclosure is simply for defamation or for public interest.”