The Sunfull Foundation, a South Korean organization dedicated to combating cyberbullying, renewed its pledge Wednesday to promote a culture of leaving supportive comments as it celebrated the campaign's 19th anniversary.
The event, held under the theme “National Declaration against AI Deepfakes and Malicious Comments,” brought together students, education officials, corporate representatives, celebrities and diplomats in central Seoul.
Participants included Rep. Lee Jae-jung, chair of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee, Rep. Kim Hee-jung, chair of the Education Committee, Gyeonggi Provincial Education Superintendent Ahn Min-seok, Chinese Ambassador Dai Bing and Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto.
During the event, participants took an oath to work toward eradicating cyberbullying and called on the National Assembly to designate an annual day dedicated to pledging not to post malicious comments. They also stressed the need for society to move beyond the pattern of responding to cyberbullying only after a tragedy occurs.
Six celebrities shared testimonies about their experiences with cyberbullying, including Lucky, an actor from India; American chef Austin Kang; and Gabi and Sriya, members of K-pop group Blackswan. The six were also appointed as promotional ambassadors for the foundation.
"School violence has declined, but malicious comments have not. Instead, they are evolving into new forms by combining with artificial-intelligence deepfake technology," said Min Byoung-chul, founder of the Sunfull Foundation.
"The purpose of this event is to declare a new global standard for the digital age based on a culture of respect and consideration through positive comment."
Chinese Ambassador Dai expressed support for the campaign, saying the foundation’s initiative extends to foreigners living in Korea, including migrant workers and members of multicultural families.
He also pledged to support efforts to ensure that Koreans living in China are treated with the same respect as neighbors by Chinese residents.
Italian Ambassador Emilia Gatto said cyberbullying is a global issue and emphasized the importance of international cooperation to reduce the harm caused by malicious online behavior.
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