Koreas ruling party pushes more bills to restrict free speech despite US concerns

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea is advancing a new round of media legislation, prompting worry among civil liberties groups that the measures could expand the government’s authority to restrict online news and shape public discourse. The new push comes despite concerns raised by the United States and international organizations, including UNESCO, over Korea’s recently enacted “anti-fake news” law, a revision of the Information and Communications Network Act set to take effect in July, following President Lee Jae Myung’s approval. Rep. Yang Moon-seok introduced a bill last week to create a new “right to request the blocking of news articles.” The measure would allow people who claim harm from online reporting to demand that specific articles be effectively removed from public circulation. Under the proposal, people alleging that they have suffered privacy violations or defamation from online media could file a request to have the relevant article blocked from news sites and search engines. Current law permits victims of false news to seek correction, rebuttal or compen

Read Full Article