Pre-Arrest Warrant Requested... Absence from Warrant Hearing
Sentenced to Prison for Spreading Malicious Rumors After Sewol Ferry Disaster
The police have applied for a pre-arrest warrant for a man in his 60s who uploaded a false video on YouTube claiming that the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do on December 29 last year was fabricated. This man also has a prior record of being sentenced to prison for spreading malicious rumors immediately after the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014.
On the 3rd, the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency applied for a pre-arrest warrant for Mr. A (61) on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act, for posting about 100 videos on his YouTube channel recently claiming that the Jeju Air disaster at Muan Airport was fabricated, according to a report by Yonhap News Agency on the same day.
Firefighters are searching for belongings at the site of the Jeju Air passenger plane collision and explosion accident that occurred on December 30 last year at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do. Photo by Jang Jin-hyeong
The Busan District Court held a warrant hearing for Mr. A on the 31st of last month, but he did not appear. A police official told Yonhap News Agency, "Although we applied for a pre-arrest warrant, Mr. A did not appear, and we are continuing the related investigation. If he continues to be absent, we will consider applying for an arrest warrant." The police are deleting and blocking Mr. A’s YouTube account through the Korea Communications Standards Commission. However, it is known that Mr. A continues to create new YouTube channels and repeatedly uploads false videos.
Mr. A was also punished for spreading malicious rumors immediately after the Sewol ferry disaster in 2014. At that time, he posted 635 times on online communities with statements such as "The first mate of the Sewol ferry was an agent of the National Intelligence Service" and "A massacre orchestrated by the government and the Coast Guard." Mr. A was prosecuted for defaming the honor of Coast Guard personnel and received a final sentence of 1 year and 6 months in prison from the Supreme Court in 2018.
Meanwhile, on the 3rd, the police announced that they are investigating a total of 242 malicious online posts related to the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster and have arrested 19 people. The National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency stated that they are continuously tracking other posters who uploaded malicious posts targeting victims and their families. The National Police Agency is operating a dedicated investigation team under the head of the National Investigation Headquarters’ Investigation Bureau, working with cyber investigation units of city and provincial police agencies nationwide to sequentially identify suspects through tracking investigations.
Previously, the Cyber Investigation Unit of the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency arrested two suspects who posted multiple videos claiming that the footage of the accident passenger plane was fabricated, thereby defaming the victims and their families. It is known that no suspects have yet been booked in connection with the Jeju Air disaster.
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