By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
A photo and other private information of a securities company staff who allegedly contributed to actress Choi Jin-sil's death was posted on the Internet, causing concerns whether another ``cyber witch hunt'' would produce another victim.
The woman, identified only as Baek, is under police investigation for spreading an online rumor that linked the late Choi to loan sharks who lent billions of won to actor Ahn Jae-hwan and drove him to commit suicide last month. The rumors allegedly put undue stress on Choi, who hung herself on Oct.2.
According to police, Baek said she received the rumor from a friend of hers through an online messenger, but the investigation team were unable to restore the content of the conversation.
On Tuesday, a picture of Baek was posted on a Web site based in America. The photo was quickly posted on major entertainment sites and other Internet users managed to track Baek's personal Web site address. Furthermore, the netizens shared which university she went to, which church she goes to and photographs of her and her boyfriend.
Thousands of articles were posted at her site reading, ``I want you do be under the same pain, same stress,'' ``You made Choi Jin-sil die!'' and other malicious comments.
The entertainment site promptly removed the photos and the address link. Also major portal sites such as naver.com and daum.net said they are scrapping such articles. But thousands have already seen it, Internet users say.
``Wasn't it such cyber terror that killed Choi? Let's not make the same mistake again,'' an Internet user said. Others also said it could develop into another human rights infringement case.
Meanwhile, the police said Baek testified that she had received calls from Choi on the day of her death but she did not reply to them because she did not feel well. She had also admitted to having called Choi on Sept. 30 begging for her forgiveness for the rumors.
Baek has reportedly said she feels sorry for what she has done and that there is fair chance that she hurt Choi's feelings during the telephone talk.
The police will seek prosecution for Baek over spreading groundless rumors online and indict another three of her coworkers for concocting such rumors in the first place.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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