Police Expand Dedicated Misinformation Response Team to 16 Members
The National Police Agency announced on the 8th that it will establish cyber analysis teams within the cyber investigation units of four city and provincial police agencies. This initiative involves expanding and reorganizing the previously operated special team into a new 16-member dedicated unit. The team will provide a unified response system, covering everything from detecting false and manipulated information to requesting its deletion or blocking, and linking it to investigations. Specifically, five members will be assigned to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, five to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, three to the Gwangju Provincial Police Agency, and three to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency.
A claim that the government would forcibly liquidate foreign currency held by individuals and companies due to the prolonged Middle East war has spread rapidly through online communities. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho flatly refuted this, stating, "It is a clear fake news that has not been discussed at all." Choo reported the initial disseminator and active participants of this fake news to the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency on charges of violating the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc., and the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's cyber investigation division immediately launched an investigation upon receiving the complaint.
Acting Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong visited the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency's cyber investigation unit, which is currently handling the investigation, on the 8th. He inspected the status of responses to false and manipulated information and listened to on-site feedback. Yoo stated, "The intentional dissemination of false and manipulated information is a serious crime that amplifies public anxiety and causes social chaos. Swift detection, blocking, and strong response are paramount." He further emphasized, "We will strengthen preemptive and resolute responses, including tracking down and punishing the initial disseminators to the end, so that malicious and organized dissemination of false and manipulated information can no longer take root."