Distribution of 'New Coronavirus Confirmed Cases' List on Internet Community...Causing Confusion

Unverified Information Only Fuels Anxiety

An ambulance is leaving Seoul Gimpo Airport on the morning of the 31st, when Korean residents arrived from Wuhan, China, which was locked down as the origin of the novel coronavirus infection. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The indiscriminate spread of personal information of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) with unclear sources on internet communities is intensifying public confusion.

On the 31st, a photo of a document titled "Report of Confirmed Cases of Novel Coronavirus in the District" was posted on an internet community. Under the section "Details of Confirmed Cases," the names of three individuals are listed with the middle character of their three-character names omitted, showing only the first and last characters, along with specific details such as residence, occupation, age, and movement routes.

If this document is an official government document, it would mean that sensitive patient personal information has been leaked, indicating a failure in information management by the quarantine authorities. However, the source is currently unclear. The document states it was prepared by the "Health Management Division," but neither the Ministry of Health and Welfare nor the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has a division by that name. It was also confirmed that the public health center in the confirmed patients' region mentioned in the document does not have such a division. There is a possibility that this is "false information" impersonating an official document.

If confirmed as fake news, an investigation will be inevitable. Not only this document but other documents containing confirmed case information are spreading mainly through internet communities and social networking services (SNS). The police have established a "Cyber Countermeasures Situation Room" and are taking strict measures against fake news causing public confusion. A police official stated, "The production and distribution of false and manipulated information online cause public anxiety and social confusion, so we plan to continuously monitor and strictly respond to illegal activities," adding, "We hope the public actively report any discovered false and manipulated information to the police and related agencies."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.