The Science. ICT. Broadcasting. and Communications Committee on the 10th passed the so-called "false or manipulated information eradication act" (amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection) led by the Democratic Party of Korea.
The Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee held a full meeting that afternoon, put the amendment to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection on the agenda, and approved it. The Democratic Party had initially tried to approve the amendment on the 8th, but handling fell short and was scrapped after the Rebuilding Korea Party, which is broadly allied with the ruling bloc, took a cautious stance. Two days after it fell through, the party pushed the bill through.
The core of the amendment is that those who knowingly and intentionally distribute illegal information or false or manipulated information and cause damage must pay up to five times the amount of the damages. Media organizations offered the view that the punitive damages claim for power holders such as politicians, public officials, large-company executives, and major shareholders should be limited, but that was not reflected.
However, the Democratic Party of Korea and the Rebuilding Korea Party said they supplemented the clause on "strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP)," the main point of contention, and put in place a device to block power holders from abusing lawsuits. A strategic lawsuit against public participation refers to a suit that strategically seeks damages with the purpose of chilling public-interest speech.
In addition, they decided to delete provisions such as the "first speaker liability" clause, which had raised concerns about chilling investigative reporting and critical journalism, and the clause imposing surcharge on platform operators.
The People Power Party opposed the bill on the grounds that it infringes freedom of the press. People Power Party lawmaker Choi Hyeong-du said right after the end of the subcommittee that day, "The Democratic Party forcibly pushed through a punitive damages system that progressive civic groups and the media community are concerned about," adding, "It reproduces exactly the problems pointed out by a U.N. human rights report four years ago."