Gyeongbuk Spokesperson Lim Daeseong: "No More Tolerance for Regional Disparaging Remarks in Some Online Content"

Visit by Ryu Heelim, Chairman of the Korea Communications Standards Commission
Strong Demand for Establishing Penalty Standards

As issues such as regional disparagement and defamation continue to persist through online content, the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government visited the Korea Communications Standards Commission on the 14th, requesting strong measures such as stricter penalties to address problems related to regional disparagement and defamation on online platforms.

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Government pointed out that when inaccurate information disparages or distorts a specific region, causing damage, there are currently no official remedies or response systems beyond apologies or content deletion by the creators. The province has reportedly requested the Commission to establish countermeasures.

Im Dae Sung, spokesperson for Gyeongbuk Province (right), is meeting with Ryu Hee Rim, chairman of the Communications Ethics Commission, requesting strict punishment for regional disparaging remarks occurring in online content.

This proposal by the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government is a follow-up measure aimed at establishing a system to respond to the emergence of provocative or illegal content related to regions, such as the recent regional disparagement video on YouTube.

After a disparaging video about Yeongyang-gun sparked controversy, the province took the lead in producing and promoting the 'Yeongyang Gadeuk' video series, turning the situation into an opportunity. However, with no clear regulations or sanctions against regional disparagement, urgent measures are needed.

The North Gyeongsang Provincial Government has made it clear that it will no longer stand by, strongly requesting the Commission to address the 'problems of regional disparagement and defamatory content' and to establish regulatory and punitive standards.

Ryu Hee-lim, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Standards Commission, stated, "Various problems are arising on increasingly sophisticated online platforms," and added, "We will review the issues raised by the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government and consider possible alternatives."

Lim Daeseong, spokesperson for North Gyeongsang Province, emphasized, "It is urgent to establish effective measures to respond to distorted online content such as regional disparagement," and added, "We will continue to consult with relevant agencies to process illegal and harmful content more swiftly."

Lee Cheolwoo, Governor of North Gyeongsang Province, stated, "We will pay even greater attention to promoting North Gyeongsang Province and will thoroughly ensure that residents are not harmed by issues related to regional disparagement."

Meanwhile, the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government is planning a public campaign on the issues of 'cyber lecca' and 'cyber violence' to raise public awareness about negative behaviors in cyberspace, which will be presented on the province's official YouTube channel, 'BoisoTV.'

Since last year, the province has focused on producing public interest content with the goal of realizing public value. As a result, it has won a total of six awards in the new media field, including the Grand Prize in the Video Content category at the Korea Digital Content Awards and the Advertising/Public Campaign category at the Korea Communication Awards.

This year as well, in collaboration with the North Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency, the Office of Education, the Autonomous Police Committee, and the Fire Headquarters, the province is producing and promoting public campaign videos on topics such as children's safety zones, drugs, smishing, and illegal online gambling to ensure the safety of residents.