People Power Party lawmaker Kim Ye-ji withdrew a bill to amend the Act on Organ, etc., Transplantation (Organ Transplantation Act) that would allow organ donation without family consent because of fake news. False information spread that the bill would allow forced organ harvesting, which instead discouraged organ donation.
On Oct. 17, Kim said on Facebook that she would withdraw the amendment. Kim said, "After the amendment was introduced, seriously distorted false information began to spread on some social media (SNS)," and added, "To minimize harm, I am inevitably withdrawing the amendment because malicious and distorted information could cause those who applied for organ donation and their families to feel anxious or to cancel their applications."
In September last year, Kim spearheaded and introduced an amendment to the Organ Transplantation Act that would allow a person to donate organs even if the family opposes it, if the person strongly wishes to do so. Under current law, even if a person agrees to donate organs, if the family objects, it is not possible, and there have been cases in which actual donations did not take place.
However, false claims spread around the amendment such as "organ harvesting without family consent" and "links to Chinese organ trafficking." Fake news also spread that "organ harvesting could be forced in connection with involuntary psychiatric hospitalization," referring to Kim's introduction of an amendment to the Mental Health Welfare Act that would strengthen state responsibility for psychiatric hospital admissions.
On Oct. 10, U.S. conservative commentator and attorney Gordon Chang wrote on his X (formerly Twitter) account about the bill introduced by Kim that "Korea is rushing toward forced organ harvesting, state-sanctioned killing," which further fueled the spread of fake news.
Kim said, "Some malicious comments claim I introduced the bill to regain my sight, but I cannot restore vision through eye or corneal transplantation," adding, "I will work to create a society where no one feels anxious or is misunderstood because of false information." Kim said she would not withdraw the amendment to the Mental Health Welfare Act.