Opposition to demand investigation of posts that defend martial law decree
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea will demand the investigation of messenger users on charges of insurrection propaganda if their posts advocate for President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration, even if the posts are mere copies of others' comments.
Jeon Yong-gi, the Democratic Party lawmaker who co-chairs the party's committee in charge of public communications, told a news conference Friday that spreading fake news on insurrection through KakaoTalk or other messenger services could be punished as insurrection propaganda and that the party will request the investigation of those who do so.
The ruling People Power Party denounced the move as a clear violation of the freedom of expression guaranteed in the Constitution, calling it "KakaoTalk censorship."
Faced with criticism, Jeon argued that censorship is only possible in such a dictatorship as Yoon sought through his martial law decree. He added no one should spread fake news that propagandizes insurrection through social media, KakaoTalk or not.
Joo Jin-woo, the People Power Party lawmaker who heads the party's legal advisory committee, said the Democratic Party seeks to gag its critics by pressing charges of insurrection agitation and propaganda. Joo said such actions definitely violate the constitutional ban on censorship.
The Democratic Party on Saturday reported six conservative YouTubers to police on charges of insurrection propaganda, adding to four YouTubers whom it had reported on the same charges earlier. Insurrection agitation or propaganda is punished with three years or longer of imprisonment. There is no monetary penalty.
Disseminating fake news and groundless conspiracy theories is obviously a grave threat to democracy. But demanding the investigation of people just because they think differently is nonetheless a threat to the general public. It infringes upon constitutional freedoms of expression and speech. Scrutinizing messenger posts to accuse users is none other than censorship and a behavior that could be seen only in totalitarian states.
It is also hard to understand how the party will be able to examine countless KakaoTalk conversations. It is absurd for a lawmaker arguing for a police investigation of critics of his party to undertake the task of communication with people.
The Democratic Party has no right to judge whether or not messenger posts are fake news.
Rather, politicians will have to be the first to stop spreading conspiracy theories to rally their supporters. An opposition lawmaker recently made a false argument that Yoon had escaped from the presidential residence to avoid arrest.
Pro-Democratic Party YouTuber and broadcaster Kim Ou-joon made absurd claims in a parliamentary session that he had received intelligence from a foreign agency that martial law forces planned to assassinate People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon. The Democratic Party dismissed Kim's claims as "highly embellished with fictional elements."
Insurrection propaganda is a crime of encouraging insurrection. Normally, it happens before insurrection is executed. The martial law decree was already lifted, so it is difficult to view messenger posts that advocate for martial law as insurrection propaganda.
It is self-contradictory for the party to demand investigation on charges of insurrection propaganda while seeking to exclude insurrection from the articles of impeachment.
Support for the People Power Party plunged shortly after the martial law declaration, but has recently rebounded, narrowing the gap with the Democratic Party. Gallup Korea polling last week found that it rose 10 percentage points from shortly before the martial law decree to 34 percent, while that for the Democratic Party fell 12 percentage points to 36 percent. This shift is attributable to conservatives uniting to counter the tyrannical behavior of the opposition.
It impeached officials and prosecutors standing in the way of the party's political goals, pushed bills that undermine the market economy, slashed government budgets greatly and ignored democratic procedures, taking unilateral steps. Many people see totalitarianism in the Democratic Party. They are concerned about what will become of the country if it takes power.