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Captain Corea
Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 5:34 am Post subject: Internet Stalking in Korea |
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This is a decently written article for those who are confused as to the power of the netizen here in South Korea.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/08/14/news/korea.php
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SEOUL Kim Myong Jae's estranged girlfriend was found dead in her room in Seoul on April 22 last year, six days after she poisoned herself.
Two weeks later, Kim, a 30-year-old accountant, found that he had been transformed into the No. 1 hate figure of South Korea's Internet community, a victim of a growing problem in a country that boasts the world's highest rate of broadband use.
First, death threats and vicious text messages flooded his cellphone. Meanwhile, spreading fast through blogs and Web portals were rumors that Kim had jilted his girlfriend after forcing her to abort his baby, that he had assaulted her and her mother, and that his abuse had finally driven her to suicide.
"By the time I found out the source of this outrage, it was too late. My name, address, photographs, telephone numbers were all over the Internet," Kim said. "Tens of thousands of people were busy sharing my identity and discussing how to punish me. My name was the most-searched phrase at portals." News reports and portals confirmed that his name was at the top of such lists.
The allegations against Kim were first posted on his former girlfriend's home page after her death and quickly spread in various versions. Kim vehemently denies the allegations, and the police later said they could not substantiate them.
But Web users took the matter into their own hands. They bombarded Kim's employer, the food and beverage company Doosan, with so many calls demanding that it fire Kim or face a boycott that Kim quit. Anonymous hate mail swamped the Web site of Kookmin University, where Kim attended evening classes, forcing him to drop out.
"I couldn't believe what was happening to me was real," he said. "My family had to move to a new house. I was afraid to dine out or use public transportation. I had to live like a fugitive." ... |
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cdninkorea
Joined: 27 Jan 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 5:48 am Post subject: |
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I had no idea something like this could happen, and that so many people with take an issue to this extreme without reviewing all the evidence.
So much for objective proof and go vigilanteism! |
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Guri Guy
Joined: 07 Sep 2003
Location: Bamboo Island
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| Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 5:52 am Post subject: |
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That is a truly sad story. The Nazizens are at it again.  |
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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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| Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 6:30 am Post subject: |
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| Scary. There is a lot of pent-up hatred out there. Why else would people go to such lengths to "punish" a guy in this manner? |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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Some of my friends were the target of Internet vigilantism for a while. They toughed it out and eventually another controversy came around and everyone lost interest.
I think the largest problem is how you can't register anonymously on any Korean sites. Your details are all there for everyone to see. A lot of people think it protects you, but it doesn't. |
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