Eunpyeong-gu Takes Strong Legal Action Against COVID-19 Related False Information Dissemination

Focused Monitoring of False and Manipulated COVID-19 Information... Criminal Charges to Be Filed for Acts Causing Resident Anxiety

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] The ‘Eunpyeong-gu Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ (Head: Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu) has classified fake news related to COVID-19 as a serious criminal act and announced that it will respond firmly.

Eunpyeong-gu is making efforts to quickly deliver COVID-19 related information to its residents, and the information identified is shared and disclosed with relevant departments.

It stated that going forward, it will deliver information related to COVID-19 more quickly and accurately to residents through the Eunpyeong-gu website, Facebook, and blog.

However, recently in Eunpyeong-gu, unverified rumors such as “COVID-19 confirmed patients visited 0000 Main Branch, 0000 Raw Fish Restaurant, 000 Yeonsinnae Branch within Eunpyeong-gu,” and “patients from 00 Hospital visited 000 places run by young people related to Shincheonji” have spread through KakaoTalk open chat rooms, Naver cafes, and blogs, causing serious concerns about damage to the mentioned locations.

Also, some have spread false information claiming “Eunpyeong-gu is unable to send disaster safety messages due to using a large budget for the Metropolitan Resource Circulation Center and extensive publicity,” but this is completely unfounded. Eunpyeong-gu has sent 4 disaster messages related to COVID-19 infection prevention, 2 messages via Seoul City guiding visitors to Eunpyeong St. Mary’s Hospital screening clinics, distributed about 56,000 disaster safety messages to residents, and distributed 200,870 COVID-19 prevention promotional materials through each community service center.

Accordingly, Eunpyeong-gu clarified that fake news such as “a confirmed patient visited” or “it is said that a confirmed patient visited” targeting individual businesses like hospitals, pharmacies, and restaurants can be subject to ‘obstruction of business’ charges, and fake news about public organizations like the district office can be subject to ‘obstruction of official duties’ charges. It considers the act of spreading false information as one that increases anxiety in the local community and causes serious damage to residents and Eunpyeong-gu, who are working together to prevent COVID-19 infection, and announced that it will respond with strong legal measures against the spreaders.

Regarding the spread of rumors, Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “Fake news is a serious crime. We will respond strongly to acts that spread false information and fake news related to COVID-19 on SNS and online platforms, increasing residents’ anxiety. We ask residents not to rely on inaccurate sources but to refer to information from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and the Eunpyeong-gu website.”

The Eunpyeong-gu Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters advises avoiding crowded places for the time being, thoroughly observing personal hygiene and preventive measures, and if experiencing fever or respiratory symptoms, to first consult by phone at 120/1339 or screening clinics (Eunpyeong-gu Public Health Center 351-8640~1, Seobuk Hospital 3156-3022) before visiting. When the movement paths of confirmed patients are identified, the visited locations are disclosed and disinfected for residents’ safety, and places where disinfection is completed can be used after 24 hours.

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