KCTU Files Complaint Against Poster of Fake News Claiming 'Police Officer in Coma'

Defamation and Violation of the Information and Communications Network Act

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) has taken legal action against the author of an online post claiming that a police officer was beaten into a coma by a KCTU member at a rally, as well as against the media outlet that reported the claim.

On the morning of the 14th, Jeon Ho-il, spokesperson for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, submitted a complaint at Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul. Provided by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions

On the morning of the 14th, the KCTU announced that it had filed a complaint with the Namdaemun Police Station in Seoul against the author of the post and the journalists who reported it verbatim, on charges of defamation by false facts and violation of the Information and Communications Network Act.

Previously, on the workplace community platform "Blind," a user presumed to be affiliated with the National Police Agency posted, "A person participating in the KCTU rally snatched the radio from our staff (police officer) who was blocking the crowd and struck him on the head with it, and now the staff member is in a coma." In response, the KCTU stated on the 5th that this was "fake news."

At the rally calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, it was confirmed that one KCTU member took a radio from a police officer’s chest and threw it, causing a roughly 3 cm laceration on the officer’s forehead, but the officer did not fall into a coma.