[Itaewon Tragedy] "Prevent Secondary Damage"... Naver Korea Office Urges Caution on Itaewon-Related Posts and Comments

[Source=Naver Cafe Notice]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Yuri] Portals such as Naver and Kakao, along with major social networking services (SNS), have urged caution when posting articles related to the Itaewon tragedy. This measure aims to prevent the spread of secondary and tertiary damage caused by indiscriminate on-site videos or unverified information.

On the 30th, Naver announced through notices on Naver Cafes and blogs, "We request caution when writing posts and comments related to the accident that occurred in the Itaewon area." In particular, they asked users to refrain from posting or sharing photos or videos that could reveal the identities of victims, comments, or unverified facts related to the accident.

Kakao also requested caution regarding posts about the Itaewon tragedy through Kakao Now and Daum Cafes. Kakao stated, "The victims and their families are going through an extremely difficult time, and such posts could cause additional wounds," and urged users to report such posts via the report function or Kakao Customer Center if found.

Major SNS platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have also taken measures, requesting restraint in sharing indiscriminate videos.

Twitter Korea announced via Twitter, "When tweeting images and videos from the Itaewon accident scene, please refer to the sensitive media policy and report problematic tweets if found," and requested users to refrain from retweeting sensitive posts. Additionally, they explained, "If you do not want to be exposed to sensitive image content, you can uncheck the option in 'Settings - Privacy and Safety - Displayed Content'.

According to Twitter's 'Sensitive Media Policy,' if a post contains excessively cruel or violent content, the account may be temporarily locked after Twitter requests content removal. Repeated violations may result in permanent suspension of the account.

Facebook has opened a Safety Check page. Facebook's disaster safety check page is a space where those affected by disasters can share their safety status with friends connected on Facebook and request or provide help if needed. It also provides the latest news and information related to the accident.

Currently, the page shares a brief overview of the accident along with the number of deceased and injured. Users can check the safety status of friends and mark their own status as "Safe" or "Not in affected area" regarding the Itaewon crowd crush accident.

Meanwhile, among the victims of the Itaewon tragedy that occurred on the 29th, 19 foreigners have been confirmed dead and 16 injured (as of 1 PM that day). The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters announced that as of 1 PM, the identities of 141 out of 151 deceased have been confirmed.