Anti-Corruption Commission: "9 Out of 10 Citizens Recognize Cyberbullying on Anonymous Apps as 'Serious'"

More than 9 out of 10 Koreans perceive the issues of malicious comments, abusive language, and the spread of false information on anonymous applications (apps) as "serious."

Yoo Cheolhwan, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, is speaking at the Government Complex Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

On October 15, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced the results of a survey on the use and side effects of anonymous apps, conducted through the National Participation Platform from September 10 to 23, targeting 2,959 citizens.

In this survey, 93.3% of all respondents answered that the problems of malicious comments, abusive language, and the spread of false information on anonymous apps are "serious."

Among respondents who said they had used anonymous apps (1,861 people, 62.9%), 1 in 4 reported experiencing direct cyberbullying. The types of harm most frequently cited were "anger and hatred" (25.1%) and "depression and helplessness" (16.6%), indicating a high proportion of serious psychological trauma.

However, more than half of the victims (52.6%) responded that they did not know how to respond to cyberbullying. Additionally, 46.6% said they "did nothing" when victimized. The most common reason for not taking any action was the belief that "asking for help would not resolve the issue" (58.8%).

Furthermore, 89.4% of all respondents said that "legal and institutional punishment is absolutely necessary." As potential solutions, respondents called for ▲ strengthening the level of punishment for perpetrators (30.1%), ▲ implementing at least a minimum identity verification system similar to real-name registration (29.4%), and ▲ requiring app operators to delete and block harmful posts (19.8%).

Yoo Cheolhwan, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, stated, "Based on the public opinion confirmed through this survey, we will work with relevant ministries to improve the system so that victims receive relief and perpetrators are held accountable."