Companies rebuked for disrespect of war hero

Cyberspace regulators have ordered Douyin - a Chinese popular short video app under ByteDance - and Chinese search engine Sogou, to carry out corrective measures over advertisements that degrade martyrs.

Directed by the Cyberspace Administration of China, internet regulators in Beijing and the city's industry and commerce administration held face-to-face talks on Saturday with five companies to demand an immediate campaign to clean up content that insults the nation's heroes and martyrs, the Beijing regulator said on Sunday. Three other companies involved are from the advertising and media production sectors.

The move comes after Douyin placed an advertisement on Sogou that was said to insult Qiu Shaoyun, a hero of the Korean War (1950-53). Qiu allowed himself to be burned alive where he lay prone so that his platoon would not be exposed to the enemy.