YouTuber Arrested for Spreading False Information About Jeju Air Tragedy
On May 8, the prosecution announced that one YouTuber has been arrested and charged, while 14 others have been indicted for disseminating false information and defaming the victims and their families related to the Jeju Air passenger plane tragedy that occurred at Muan International Airport in December last year.
The YouTuber, referred to as A, posted around 100 videos from December to January, including content titled 'Analysis of the Muan Airport Aircraft Incident.' In these videos, A falsely claimed that the plane crash did not actually happen and that the footage was computer-generated. A also made baseless assertions that the victims' families were professional actors and suggested that they had previously appeared in other tragedies like the Sewol Ferry and Itaewon incidents. The Busan District Prosecutor's Office arrested A in March.
Another individual, B, was charged for writing false statements about a representative of the victims' families, alleging that they were affiliated with a specific political party and were impersonating bereaved families for personal gain. Similarly, C was indicted for claiming that the representative was a 'fake family member,' causing outrage among the real victims' families.
Individuals D and E were also charged for making false claims that the families were exploiting unclaimed bodies for profit and for using derogatory language to insult the victims and their families.
The Supreme Prosecutors' Office has revised its guidelines to impose stricter penalties for serious cyber defamation and insult cases, effective immediately. They have instructed local prosecutors to actively pursue arrests in cases involving organized groups or those causing significant harm.
The prosecution aims to recover any financial gains obtained through these crimes and has set higher fines for those convicted, increasing the amounts by 500,000 to 2,000,000 KRW compared to previous cases. The Supreme Prosecutors' Office emphasized the long-lasting impact of cyber defamation and the need for stringent measures to protect the dignity and reputation of individuals.
