By Chung Ah-young
Staff Reporter


A majority of online users support punishing those who post malicious comments which, according to a recent survey is seen as an ongoing cyber-problem.

The survey came after prosecutors investigated 25 people for posting a slew of abusive, online comments in response to a newspaper article reporting the death of a former student activist.

The article reported the death of a son of Lim Soo-kyung, 38, who attracted national attention in 1989 for visiting North Korea as a student activist.

Her son drowned last July at a resort in the Philippines. Lim filed suit against the 25 on charges of contempt and defamation.

Naver, operated by the nation’s foremost Internet firm, NHN, conducted the survey among 5,714 Internet surfers and asked them to vote for or against criminal charges against the 25 accused.

According to the survey, 71 percent of Internet users support criminal charges against those who overly post abusive comments online, saying that the current cyber attacks on a certain figure or an article are reaching serious proportions.

Only 29 percent opposed legal punishment, claiming it runs counter to freedom of expression.

Yahoo Korea, one of the world’s major Internet portals, also recently released a finding that 68 percent or 2,135 of users approve of legal action against malicious repliers.

``It is a serious problem that many users write insulting replies due to the anonymous nature of the Internet. Although freedom of expression is important, malicious comments cannot be regarded as the exercise of free expression,’’ a user of an online portal said.

Another user argued that it is true that abusive comments can be emotionally damaging, but it is too vague to define what degree of ``maliciousness,’’ is enough to be punishable.

Prosecutors investigating Lim’s case have slapped summary indictments with one million won in fines on 14 of the 25 on charges of contempt.

Investigators have cleared one person whose cyber identity was stolen for abusive use.

They plan summary indictments against another 10 who have failed to appear before prosecutors.

Under criminal law, those charged with contempt are subject to a maximum one-year jail term or two million won in fines.

Among the 25 users were charged for writing malicious replies to the article, 22 were men between 30 and 70.

Those against whom the suit was include a university professor, three bank officials, and four office workers, all whom are highly educated.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr