Government Ramps Up Efforts to Block Fake News Ahead of Local Elections

The government is launching a full-scale response to false and fake news that threatens the fairness of the upcoming local elections on June 1. Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-joong held a meeting of the 'Cross-Government Task Force for Responding to False and Fake News' on June 8 at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The task force will operate weekly until the local elections, mobilizing the capabilities of all ministries. The task force was formed with the recognition that false and fake news spreading through online platforms and social media could impede citizens' exercise of their voting rights.

Ministers and vice ministers from relevant ministries, including the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Korea Communications Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Justice, and the National Police Agency, gathered to discuss response measures. The Korea Communications Commission will operate a 'Public-Private Joint Self-Regulation Task Force' until the election day to promptly delete and block access to false and fake news on online platforms. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will work to clear illegal advertisements starting May 4 and plans to strictly punish public officials if they are found posting or disseminating false/fake news or interfering in elections.

The prosecution and police have designated false/fake news, smear campaigns, vote-buying, and election interference by public officials as priority targets for crackdowns and will proceed with investigations. The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with the National Election Commission, will conduct 'New Voter Education' for 400,000 high school students.

The National Election Commission has established a 'Special Response Team for Deepfakes, False Information, and Defamation' to counter false and fake news. It will maintain a cooperative system by sharing relevant information in real-time with the government and referring significant illegal posts to investigative agencies. The government will continue cross-ministerial cooperation until election day to ensure the local elections are conducted fairly, pursuing and responding to organized and malicious dissemination of false and fake news to the end.