A man in his 30s has been referred to prosecutors for claiming on his social media account that the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising was a riot instigated by spies.
The Daegu Dalseo Police Station announced on the 21st that it had non-custodially transferred Mr. A, a man in his 30s, on suspicion of violating the Special Act on the May 18 Democratic Uprising.
Mr. A is accused of spreading false information on his Instagram account on May 19, stating, “The May 18 Uprising was a riot instigated by spies who incited some Gwangju citizens. If not, disclose the 5·18 people list,” and “I’m sorry, but I’m not from Ilbe. The May 18 Uprising was clearly a riot instigated by North Korean spies… haha.”
Under current law, spreading false information about the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising can result in imprisonment of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million Korean won.
Mr. A reportedly claimed, “I posted my usual thoughts about the movement, though I have no clear evidence.”
A police official stated, “Distorting and spreading false information about the May 18 Democratic Uprising is a criminal act that goes beyond freedom of expression, denies historical facts, and inflicts irreparable harm on victims and their families.” The official added, “We will take legal action under the principle of zero tolerance against malicious distortion of historical facts online and acts that incite social conflict.
A man in his 30s has been referred to prosecutors for claiming on his social media account that the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising was a riot instigated by spies. The Daegu Dalseo Police Station...