"Not Even Human" Anger Over Secondary Harm
Prosecutors and Police Investigate Malicious Posts Related to Disaster
Broadcaster Hong Seok-cheon and actor Jung Joon expressed anger at malicious comments directed at the bereaved families of the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster.
On the 3rd, Hong Seok-cheon posted an image on his social media account with the phrase "Bereaved families suffering from malicious comments and a daughter crying out loud." Along with it, he wrote, "It is truly sad. What kind of people leave malicious comments even to the bereaved families and their children?" and "They are not even human. This is the world we live in. I sincerely pray for the deceased." He also added, "Now I guess I will get malicious comments too? Daughter, I will fight for you," and responded, "Come on, you pathetic malicious commenters."
Jung Joon also expressed his sorrow over the malicious comments through SNS the day before. He said, "Please don't do this. If you are human, don't do this," and "No one knows how much pain and hardship they are going through, neither you nor I, so let's quietly comfort and pray for them. Please, if you are human, don't do this." He continued, "Daughter, stay strong. Your father is a wonderful person doing the right thing. It’s a small gesture, but I support you."
Meanwhile, it has been reported that secondary harm toward the bereaved families by some netizens has been widespread since the disaster. In response, the Prosecutor’s Office Accident Countermeasures Headquarters (Headed by Lee Jong-hyuk, Gwangju District Prosecutor) stated on the 2nd, "Recently, rumors and false information related to the Jeju Air passenger plane accident, as well as online posts and malicious comments insulting or disparaging the victims and their families, have been posted, causing irreparable damage to the victims and bereaved families." They added, "We will closely cooperate with the police to respond swiftly and strictly with a zero-tolerance policy toward crimes such as defamation and insults, and will do our utmost to protect and support the victims."
On the same day, the police also formed a "Special Investigation Team for Malicious Posts Related to the Jeju Air Passenger Plane Accident," led by the head of the National Investigation Headquarters’ Investigation Bureau. Dedicated investigation teams in each city and province are strengthening monitoring of malicious online posts and various videos, and will initiate investigations and deletion/blocking measures upon discovering illegal activities before formal charges. Currently, the Jeonnam Police Agency Investigation Headquarters is conducting pre-charge investigations on a total of four cases, and 64 complaints received through the Cyber Crime Reporting System (ECRM) will be promptly forwarded to the dedicated investigation teams in each city and province. A police official stated, "After swift investigation, we will identify and arrest suspects and respond strongly."
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