Jeong Cheong-rae Proposes Bill for Triple Damages Against 'Fake News' Media

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] On the 9th, Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that he has taken the lead in proposing a revision to the "Act on the Mediation and Relief of Damage in the Press," which would allow for triple damages to be claimed against media outlets that publish so-called fake news or false reports.

Jeong explained the background of the proposal, stating, "In a recent public opinion poll conducted by a media company, 81% of the public supported the introduction of punitive damages against media outlets that report false or manipulated fake news, reflecting the high level of public awareness regarding the damage caused by the media."

According to the analysis report on media rulings by the Press Arbitration Commission, over the past 10 years, the plaintiff's win rate in first-instance civil cases related to the media was 49.31%, and the rate at which the original ruling was upheld in appellate courts was 88.37%.

In particular, in cases claiming damages, the plaintiff's win rate was only 39.74%, indicating that victims of false or distorted reporting have difficulty receiving proper compensation.

Jeong defined cases where false information is knowingly distorted with the intent to cause severe harm to the victim as "malicious reporting," and included provisions allowing victims to claim damages from media companies up to three times the amount of the damage suffered.

Jeong stated, "Some media outlets' 'say anything and then deny it' style of false reporting and fake news not only cause material damage to victims but also undermine public trust in the media, which is serious. There needs to be institutional changes that increase accountability and create a sense of tension regarding articles. I will continue to strive for media reform to create an environment where the press can report with integrity and fairness."

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