Heated debates have arisen online over whether or not citizens are entitled to pay respects to the deceased North Korean leader Kim Jong-il on social network services.

Since Kim’s sudden death was announced this Monday, a number of citizens paid their respects via the Internet, though opposite sentiment was also voiced.

The National Police Agency has launched investigations into two online communities commemorating Kim, according to officials Wednesday.

“Most of the contents have been deleted, except for a short condolence message and an announcement that the community is to be closed down soon,” said an official at the agency. “The communities do not yet seem to have a specific political purpose, but we are nevertheless checking for any possible legal violations.”

The Korea Communications Standards Commission also pledged Monday to closely monitor pro-North Korean postings on the Internet, based on the National Security Law and past court rulings.

Though officials stressed that regulations are to be limited to extreme content which explicitly praises the communist regime, many accused their moves as an abuse of power.

“Paying minimum respect for a state leader does not mean supporting the regime itself,” said 30-year-old Lee Min-jun. “Also, it will also be beneficial for the troubled inter-Korean relations.”

Lee led an online campaign on Facebook to commemorate the North Korean leader.

“The government’s excessive control will infringe on the people’s constitutional right to free speech,” said Kim Hyung-wan, director of the Korea Human Rights Policy Institute.

A judge in the Incheon District Court, who earlier denounced the disputed Korea-U.S. free trade deal, blamed security authorities this time.

“It is simply barbaric for the state or government to think it may rule and regulate people’s thoughts,” the judge wrote on his Facebook page.

“Such way of thinking is not much different from that of the Nazis.”

The Supreme Court’s ethics committee urged judges last month to take extra caution in their choice of words and expression on the Internet and is currently discussing possible disciplinary actions against such postings.

“Back in 1994 when Kim Il-sung died, condolences over the North Korean leader was an extremely sensitive issue,” said an official of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security.

“However, we now live in a different time in history and most people hold a more objective view over North Korea, which enables them to freely express their sympathy and respect online.”

According to an urgent public survey conducted by a local daily shortly after Kim’s death was announced, 65.4 percent of the respondents answered that the government is to officially offer its condolence to the North Korean counterpart.

Also, 53.8 percent said that it should express its sympathy to the North Korean people.

By Bae Hyun-jung (tellme@heraldcorp.com)