Lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party, (from L to R) Choi Soo-jin, Joo Jin-woo, and Park Choong-kwon, submit a bill to an office of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, 09 June 2026, to seek an independent counsel probe into an unprecedented shortage of ballot papers that disrupted voting in the June 3 local elections at some polling stations and, critics say, infringed upon voters' rights. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 5 (Asia Today) -- South Korea's ruling and opposition parties clashed Sunday over a revised online information law set to take effect Tuesday, with the ruling Democratic Party calling it a safeguard against fake news and the main opposition People Power Party denouncing it as a threat to free speech.
The revised Information and Communications Network Act allows punitive damages of up to five times the actual damage when false or manipulated information is distributed online and causes harm. Repeat distribution can also trigger administrative fines of up to 1 billion won, or about $655,000.
The People Power Party called the measure an online "gag law" and said the standard for determining what counts as false or manipulated information is too vague.
Choi Soo-jin, the party's chief floor spokesperson, said posts criticizing the government or raising reasonable suspicions could become targets of disputes.
