South Korean President calls for tougher punishment for hateful speech, conduct

SEOUL — South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung called on Sunday for a public debate on introducing tougher measures against those who post hateful and derogatory content online or engage in such behaviour.

Lee made the remarks in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing a report that young people believed to be linked to a far-right online forum had engaged in provocative acts mocking former liberal President Roh Moo-hyun near the site of a memorial ceremony held on the anniversary of his death.

"There are differing views on whether expressions that incite social division and conflict through mockery and insults, such as (those seen on) Ilbe, should be protected under freedom of expression or (face) sanctions, including punishment," Lee said in the post.

Ilbe refers to "Ilbe Storehouse," a South Korean internet community known for extreme political views, misogyny, racism and hate speech.

Lee raised the need for "stricter conditions" and measures such as punishment, or even punitive damages, for mocking and hateful expressions.

He also mentioned how there has been a debate over shutting down those online forums, reports Yonhap news agency.

"What do you think? ... I will also raise the matter at a Cabinet meeting," he said.

Lee's remarks came a day after he criticised Starbucks Korea over its 2024 promotional material that critics said evoked the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster.

Starbucks Korea introduced its "Siren Classic Mug Collection" on April 16, 2024, the anniversary of the ferry sinking that killed more than 300 people, mostly students on a school trip. Critics said the use of "Siren" was inappropriate because sirens in Greek mythology are associated with luring sailors to shipwrecks.

The coffee chain has come under fire for launching a "Tank Day" event on the anniversary of a 1980 pro-democracy movement that was violently suppressed by the military.