[In-Depth] Good News, Bad News, and Strange Laws

Deceived by "Fake News" About Kim Jong Un's Death
Why the Media Must Restore Trust on Its Own

It was an early morning in April last year. I jumped out of bed after opening a video sent by an acquaintance via KakaoTalk. The video featured trembling narration by a female North Korean broadcaster, with subtitles reading, "Our Dear Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un has passed away during an on-site inspection." I turned on the television. For news of this magnitude, domestic broadcasters as well as international outlets like CNN and BBC should have been airing breaking news, but contrary to expectations, everything was quiet. Only then did I realize-I had been completely deceived by 'fake news.'

Fact-checking by media outlets revealed that this video, disguised to look like a broadcast from Korean Central TV, was actually produced by a YouTube channel speculating about what would happen after Kim Jong Un’s death. The use of incorrect spelling, such as 'kkeseo' instead of 'kkeseo,' and the use of 'hasyeotda' instead of the North Korean 'hasiyeotda,' made it clear from the very first frame that this was fake news. The photos of officials paying tribute were taken from the July 8, 2019, central memorial ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of Kim Il Sung’s death. Since rumors about Kim Jong Un’s health were circulating at the time, other YouTubers spread the video indiscriminately, causing it to go viral. Some online media outlets even published breaking news reports about Kim’s death, only to retract them later, and stocks related to North Korea fluctuated wildly.

In July this year as well, rumors about Kim Jong Un’s health unsettled the financial markets. The trigger was a private information bulletin (jirashi) containing seemingly plausible claims such as "CNN breaking news: Kim Jong Un transferred from Wonsan to a specialized hospital in Pyongyang," "French medical team confirms death after surgery," and "Pyongyang lockdown." Once again, it turned out to be fake news. Despite repeated incidents, public sentiment continues to be shaken by fake news.

The Democratic Party is pushing ahead with amendments to the "Act on Press Arbitration and Remedies, etc. for Damage Caused by Press Reports" (Press Arbitration Act), citing the need to regulate fake news. Fake news refers to intentionally deceptive content presented in the format of news articles, created for political or economic gain, despite knowing it is false. Sensational and biased YouTube videos, as well as jirashi containing various rumors, are typical sources of fake news.

However, in our society, the spectrum of fake news is much broader. According to a 2017 survey by the Korea Press Foundation on perceptions of fake news, the general public considers not only media errors due to lack of fact-checking, clickbait articles, and politically biased news, but also articles that simply reprint social media posts and advertorials as fake news. In any case, all of these can be collectively called 'bad news.'

It goes without saying that the media does not exist to produce bad news. Most journalists devote their time and passion to producing good news. Good news strives to uphold the true spirit of journalism. It seeks to reveal the truth of events with a critical and balanced perspective, monitor those in power, and help democracy function properly. While there is a regrettable history of collusion with political power and acting as agents for economic interests, there are also countless examples of good news-such as uncovering the truth about the torture and death of Park Jongcheol and exposing Choi Soon-sil’s tablet PC-that have played a decisive role in advancing democracy by scrutinizing every corner of our society. Looking at the history of Korean journalism, this process was never easy. Journalists overcame censorship, reporting guidelines, threats, and attempts at appeasement to uncover the truth. This was because they took their social responsibility seriously.

Regarding the amendment to the Press Arbitration Act, Irene Khan, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, sent an official letter to the government expressing concern that "it could lead to self-censorship in the media and suppress debate on matters of public interest, posing a grave risk to press freedom." With the development of the internet, the media landscape has diversified, and one-person media outlets that operate on a "publish first, verify later" basis are now widespread.

Restoring trust in the media and overcoming public distrust and criticism is something the media must achieve on its own. It cannot be solved by taming the press through strange laws that include toxic provisions such as punitive damages. We should heed the words of Special Rapporteur Khan: "In any society, a free press and media that are not subject to censorship or restrictions are essential, and they are one of the cornerstones of a democratic society."

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