Kim Moonsoo: "Preventing the Spread of False Information and Defamation"

Representative Proposal of the “Information and Communications Network Act” Amendment
“Personal Honor Reduced to a Means of Making Money... Penalties to Be Strengthened”

Moonsoo Kim, Member of the National Assembly.

There are expectations that penalties for defamation, which has been frequently occurring through the internet and YouTube recently, will be strengthened.

Kim Moonsoo, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong, Gurye-gap in Jeonnam), announced on the 19th that he had proposed a revision to the “Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc.” (Information and Communications Network Act) to strengthen penalties for online defamation.

The proposed amendment raises the maximum fine for defamation with the intent to slander and for factual defamation from 30 million won to up to 100 million won, and for defamation with the intent to slander and spreading false information from 50 million won to up to 1 billion won. It also includes the confiscation and collection of profits obtained from such crimes upon conviction.

This move comes in response to concerns that, with the expansion of platforms like YouTube, the spread of false information and serious damage to individuals' reputations have become commonplace, yet even when crimes are recognized, offenders often receive only minor fines. In many cases, the profits gained from spreading false information are even greater, effectively encouraging such crimes.

Kim stated, “Individuals’ honor and dignity are being reduced to means of making money,” and explained, “We must strengthen the effectiveness of the law to reduce social harm caused by false information.”

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