OPINION> Commentary
Time to rein in cyber-bullies
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-10-08 07:48

The recent suicide of actress Choi Jin-sil is fueling the debate about the need to regulate cyberspace.

According to accounts by Choi's family and acquaintances, as well as her writings, Choi was driven to take her own life largely as a result of cyber-bullying. She was greatly disturbed by Internet postings that connected her to the death of another actor, Ahn Jae-hwan, who had committed suicide less than a month earlier. Ahn had apparently killed himself because he was insolvent and the Internet rumor mill had Choi as one of the loan sharks he owed money to.

Distraught by the slanderous Internet postings, Choi asked the police to investigate the matter and a securities firm employee was arrested. However, the damage was already done and Choi, who is said to have suffered from depression, gave up on life.

Choi's high-profile death is but the latest in a string of celebrity suicides apparently caused by cyber-bullying. Early last year, a young singer and an actress committed suicide after suffering extensive verbal abuse on the Internet.

Now as then, calls are being made to change the Internet culture in this country. It is unfortunate that South Korea, one of the most wired nations in the world, is under siege by netizens who use the anonymity offered by cyberspace to commit cyber-bullying.

The Blue House last month said that it would draw up a new law against cyber-defamation and expand the mandatory use of real names on the Internet. The ruling Grand National Party is also seeking to pass a revision to the current law on information and telecommunications networking that would allow authorities greater leeway in investigating defamation in cyberspace.

Opposition parties and several civic groups oppose the idea of a cyber-defamation law. The law was first suggested by National Police Agency Commissioner General Eo Cheong-soo at the height of candlelight vigils against the resumption of US beef imports. Opposition parties claim that such a law could be used to stifle dissent and restrict freedom of expression.

Choi's suicide last week reminded the people of the grave consequences of cyber-bullying. A malicious rumor posted on the Internet - probably without much thought given to its possible repercussions - gains a life of its own, and may ultimately claim the life of its victim.

The public mood is ripe for a discussion of the cyber-bullying on the internet. Internet users, portal operators, Internet service providers, educators, legal experts, sociologists, psychologists - all sectors of society - should take part in discussing how to deal with this negative aspect of the Internet.

While the movement to legislate a cyber-defamation law is gaining momentum in the wake of Choi's death, politicians should not exploit her death to further their causes. The discussions should be free from politics because they involve values and ideals that are more fundamental than the vagaries of politics.

The Korea Herald/Asia News Network

(China Daily 10/08/2008 page9)