Kelly Ng and Juna Moon are reporting from Singapore and Seoul for NEWS1. Park Han-shin, who tragically lost his brother in the Jeju Air crash, has faced accusations of being a “fake bereaved family member.”
The crash occurred in South Korea last December, leaving 22-year-old Park Guen-woo orphaned after losing both his parents. Instead of finding solace to mourn his loss, he encountered a barrage of online abuse, conspiracy theories, and cruel jokes directed at the victims.
The Jeju Air plane crash, which occurred as it was returning from Bangkok, Thailand, resulted in the deaths of 179 out of 181 individuals on board. Subsequent police investigations led to the identification and apprehension of eight individuals responsible for making defamatory and derogatory online posts. These posts included baseless accusations that families were happy to receive compensation or were pretending to be victims, forcing some grieving individuals to prove their losses. Authorities have removed at least 427 such posts.
Sadly, this is not the first instance of bereaved families becoming targets of online abuse in South Korea. Experts attribute this behavior to economic struggles, financial jealousy, and toxic competitiveness that fuel hate speech in society.
Following a crowd crush incident in Seoul in 2022, victims and bereaved families were similarly targeted with smear campaigns. Hate groups even went as far as doctoring photos to spread false narratives about compensation recipients. The families affected by the tragic Sewol ferry sinking in 2014 have also endured years of hate speech, with critics questioning the compensation amounts provided to the victims.
Experts believe that economic stress and a competitive job market, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, have contributed to the rise of hate speech in South Korea. The prevalent culture of comparison and a desire to feel superior to others have led many to engage in derogatory remarks and hate speech.
Psychology professor Joshua Uyheng explains that hate is often directed towards those perceived to be benefiting at the expense of others. This resentment can fuel online hate and derogatory comments.
In the case of the Jeju Air crash, political tensions exacerbated the situation. Supporters of the right-wing People Power Party blamed the main opposition Democratic Party for the crash without evidence, leading to further division in the country. Bereaved families, like Park Han-shin, have been falsely accused of political affiliations and labeled as “fake bereaved family members.”
Park Han-shin’s daughter took to social media to defend her father against these baseless accusations. Park Han-shin expressed his dismay at how some individuals seem to find pleasure in exploiting the pain of others. He emphasized that such behavior goes against basic human decency and reiterated that he is simply an ordinary citizen not involved in politics. Kelly Ng & Juna Moon Melaporkan dari Singapura dan Seoul
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Polisi telah menangkap enam orang terkait dengan komentar kebencian terhadap orang-orang yang terkait dengan korban kecelakaan Jeju Air
Meskipun tidak ada solusi yang sempurna untuk kebencian, para ahli mengatakan perusahaan media sosial harus menetapkan kebijakan tentang apa yang merupakan ujaran kebencian dan memoderasi konten yang diposting di platform mereka sesuai.
“Pengguna online harus dapat melaporkan postingan dan komentar jahat dengan lancar, dan perusahaan platform harus aktif menghapus konten tersebut,” kata Prof. Koo. Penegak hukum juga harus mengambil tindakan terhadap pelaku, tambahnya.
Mengingatkan orang tentang identitas bersama mereka juga dapat membantu, kata Prof. Uyheng.
“Semakin sedikit orang merasa bahwa mereka berada di ujung berlawanan dari permainan nol-sum, mungkin semakin banyak mereka dapat merasakan bahwa tragedi seperti ini adalah kekhawatiran bersama kita semua – dan bahwa korban layak mendapat empati dan belas kasihan, bukan kebencian dan kecaman.”