By Kim Se-jeong
The Ministry of Justice vowed Friday to punish those who circulate unverified information or rumors about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), saying such cases will be strictly handled by the prosecution.
"Spreading incorrect information and rumors only feeds public fear and confuses people, as well as jeopardizing the government's efforts to contain the situation," Vice Minister Kim Joo-hyun said during a press conference.
The punishment will be applicable to both online and offline material, Kim said, adding rumormongers can be detained.
The ministry's warning came as speculation and rumors about the disease abound on the Internet.
For example, a map purportedly showing areas affected by the deadly disease and where the patients were located is circulating. Originally posted at mersmap.com, the map has been copied and shared by millions of users.
The problem is: No one knows who created the map and there's no way of knowing if the map contains accurate information.
"If you have verified information about new cases and names of hospitals, email us," the website says with an email address.
The map demonstrates the public mistrust toward the government, which initially refused to release the names of any hospitals that treated MERS-infected patients.
On Friday, the government disclosed the name of one hospital ― Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital in Gyeonggi Province ― where the first patient was treated before his case was confirmed on May 20. Thirty other people are believed to have contracted the virus at that hospital.
The government said such a disclosure could cause "unnecessary" chaos among members of the public, but it will share the information with medical care providers only.
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| A MERS map |
"Spreading incorrect information and rumors only feeds public fear and confuses people, as well as jeopardizing the government's efforts to contain the situation," Vice Minister Kim Joo-hyun said during a press conference.
The punishment will be applicable to both online and offline material, Kim said, adding rumormongers can be detained.
The ministry's warning came as speculation and rumors about the disease abound on the Internet.
For example, a map purportedly showing areas affected by the deadly disease and where the patients were located is circulating. Originally posted at mersmap.com, the map has been copied and shared by millions of users.
The problem is: No one knows who created the map and there's no way of knowing if the map contains accurate information.
"If you have verified information about new cases and names of hospitals, email us," the website says with an email address.
The map demonstrates the public mistrust toward the government, which initially refused to release the names of any hospitals that treated MERS-infected patients.
On Friday, the government disclosed the name of one hospital ― Pyeongtaek St. Mary's Hospital in Gyeonggi Province ― where the first patient was treated before his case was confirmed on May 20. Thirty other people are believed to have contracted the virus at that hospital.
The government said such a disclosure could cause "unnecessary" chaos among members of the public, but it will share the information with medical care providers only.
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