"Lied to Us"...Angry 'Doxxing' Targeting Omicron-Confirmed Couple

Couple Confirmed with Omicron and Their Children and Acquaintances Subjected to 'Doxxing' on Various Online Communities
Concerns Raised Over 'Doxxing' of Infected Individuals Since COVID-19 Pandemic
Experts Say Problem Arises from Low Awareness That Doxxing Is a Crime

As new confirmed cases of the 'Omicron variant,' a new mutation of COVID-19, continue to emerge in the Incheon area, the entrance door of a church in Incheon, where concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant are rising, was firmly closed on the morning of the 5th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] A couple in their 40s, both pastors, who were the first to be infected with the new COVID-19 variant Omicron, have been labeled as the 'main culprits' behind the spread of Omicron, leading to excessive doxxing against them. Experts point out that the problem arises from the low awareness that doxxing is a crime.

On the 3rd, a post titled "Found Omicron" was uploaded on an online community. The author, Mr. A, revealed photos showing the faces and names of the pastor couple, along with the church they belong to and the face and personal information of the senior pastor of that church. Subsequently, the couple’s personal information quickly spread across the internet, and eventually, even the name of the school their children attend was disclosed.

On the 6th, a post criticizing the pastor couple, the first domestic Omicron infected persons, was uploaded on an online community in the Incheon area.
Photo by Naver Cafe capture.

As the personal information of the couple, their children, and acquaintances was forcibly exposed, on the 6th, a post titled "The pastor couple’s personal information has finally been fully exposed" appeared on an online community in Incheon. The author, Mr. B, said, "Since it’s illegal, I won’t post the personal information, but with their identities fully exposed, they won’t be able to show their faces in Incheon," adding, "I heard there are 80,000 registered church members; that’s really something."

Most netizens who commented on this post also expressed critical views toward the pastor couple. One netizen, Mr. C, said, "Because of the pastor couple’s lies, several emergency patients appeared, and due to a shortage of hospital beds, people have even died," adding, "It’s understandable if they unknowingly transmitted the virus after getting infected, but deliberately hiding their movements is a serious wrongdoing."

Another netizen, Mr. D, said, "The pastor couple reportedly didn’t wear masks locally and had fever symptoms before entering the country. It was a situation where COVID-19 infection could have been reasonably suspected," adding, "As adults, shouldn’t they take responsibility for their actions? Michuhol-gu is in chaos right now. Whether it’s because of this or not, confirmed cases are appearing in schools. What about the local small business owners?"

The anger toward the pastor couple grew after it was revealed that they lied. The couple returned from Nigeria on the 24th of last month and tested positive for COVID-19 at the Michuhol-gu Public Health Center screening clinic in Incheon on the 25th. During the epidemiological investigation, they stated, "We took a quarantine taxi from the airport to home," but it was later found that they used a vehicle driven by a 30-year-old acquaintance, Mr. D, instead of a quarantine taxi during their movement.

After contact with the pastor couple, Mr. D roamed around restaurants, marts, dental clinics, and other places near his residence in Yeonsu-gu for six days without any quarantine measures. Related to this, as of midnight on the 5th, Mr. D, his wife, mother-in-law, and three acquaintances (the 5th to 7th patients) were confirmed positive for Omicron.

A monitor installed at the screening clinic displays information expressing concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, identifying a few infected individuals as the 'main culprits' of COVID-19 spread and doxxing them is a crime punishable under current law. Under the Personal Information Protection Act, unauthorized disclosure of personal information can result in imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million KRW.

Experts emphasize that the disclosure of the pastor couple’s personal information is essentially a form of venting through crime. They also point out that the lack of awareness about the criminality of doxxing is another problem.

Professor Lee Soo-jung of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University analyzed, "The awareness that doxxing is a crime is low, and it’s very easy to find information online." She added, "Posts related to 'doxxing' tend to get high views, which can be a source of income for some and entertainment for others. Moreover, since it was revealed that the pastor couple lied, it has become a subject that arouses public outrage and attracts more attention."