Man referred to prosecutors for spreading false claims about Japan's wartime sexual slavery
A man in his 20s was referred to prosecutors for allegedly posting 211 messages disparaging victims and distorting their experiences.
A bronze statue symbolizing victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery stands in central Seoul on Aug. 14.
YONHAP
A man in his 20s has been referred to prosecutors for allegedly posting messages online that disparaged victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, in the first case under a new law criminalizing the spread of false information about the issue, police said Wednesday.
The suspect has been referred to prosecution without detention on charges of violating a law protecting victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency said Wednesday.
The case marked the first apprehension since new provisions criminalizing the spread of false information about Japan's wartime sexual slavery took effect on June 11. The law intends to protect victims who were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers between 1931 and 1945, when Korea was under the 1910-45 Japanese colonial rule.
The suspect is accused of publishing and circulating 211 posts in July that disparaged the victims and distorted accounts of their suffering on online forums, including DC Inside, far-right Ilbe and FM Korea.
Police reportedly launched an investigation after discovering the posts during routine online monitoring. Investigators found that the suspect had no particular motive beyond attracting attention.
Under the amended law and its enforcement decree, anyone who distorts accounts of victims' suffering or spreads false information to disparage them faces up to five years in prison or a fine of up to 50 million won ($37,500). The maximum fine is five times higher than the 10 million won limit imposed for defamation through false statements under the Criminal Act.
The law covers false claims disseminated through newspapers, magazines, broadcasts and other publications, as well as online platforms, exhibitions, performances, screenings, public gatherings and lectures. However, it exempts activities for artistic, academic, research or journalistic purposes.
"The dissemination of false information about victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery not only humiliates the victims and their bereaved relatives or damages their reputations, but can also spread distorted historical perceptions and cause social confusion," a police official said.
“We will continue to take stern action against those who deliberately spread malicious and demonstrably false information that goes beyond the bounds of free speech.”
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
