I cover a wide range of stories about Korean society — one of the most dynamic places in the world. To me, journalism means being on the ground, uncovering untold stories and amplifying marginalized voices, especially in an era when AI is reshaping the media landscape. That’s why I’m always here to listen. Tips and stories are welcome — feel free to reach out via email. Before becoming a journalist, I traveled through 24 countries over 702 days, served two years as a military police officer in the Republic of Korea Air Force and later studied filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts.
Grieving families face new trauma amid online abuse in Korea
President Lee Jae Myung bows to bereaved families of major social disasters during a meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Jongno District, central Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap
By Park Ung
Decade of slander deepens pain for families of tragedy victims
As public concerns mount over a surge of malicious online posts targeting victims of national disasters and their bereaved families, President Lee Jae Myung directed law enforcement to establish a permanent investigative unit to combat what he called “secondary victimization.”
The directive, issued on Wednesday, reflects a recurring pattern in Korean society, where large-scale tragedies are often followed by online attacks targeting those directly affected.
One of the most painful examples remains the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, in which a vessel carrying mostly high school students capsized off the southwest coast, killing 304 people. In the aftermath, the victims’ families faced a wave of unfair criticism and misinformation.
According to the Special Commission on Social Disaster Investigation, nearly 200 people had been investigated as of 2022 for making defamatory or insulting remarks about the Sewol ferry victims. Many of the cases involved mocking or blaming the victims, or downplaying the tragedy by calling it a “traffic accident.”
A ceremony marking the 11th anniversary of the Sewol ferry disaster is held in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, April 16. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-bin
Such remarks have come not only from anonymous internet users but also from politicians. In March, Cha Myeong-jin, a former lawmaker with the Saenuri Party and later the People Power Party, was ordered by an appellate court to pay 1 million won ($717) each to 126 family members of Sewol ferry victims who sued him, upholding a lower court ruling in a defamation case.
In 2019, Cha wrote on social media: “The Sewol victims’ families — after feasting on the public’s sympathy for their children’s deaths — grilled it, steamed it and even picked the bones clean,” using a vivid metaphor to accuse them of exploiting public compassion.
The following year, during a televised debate, Cha made another claim, saying he had seen a report alleging “unspeakably promiscuous behavior” between volunteers who assisted Sewol ferry victims’ families and the families themselves.
Similar incidents followed the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, which killed 159 people during Halloween celebrations in Seoul.
As online articles about the tragedy drew a wave of hateful comments, the victims’ families last year urged portal sites and media outlets to briefly suspend comment sections, citing concerns over secondary victimization.
From 2022 to 2024, the Korea Communications Standards Commission reviewed 2,006 cases of graphic, hateful, discriminatory or derogatory content related to the Itaewon crowd crush and issued corrective action orders for 1,948 of them.
The most recent case occurred last year when a plane crashed during landing at Muan International Airport, killing 179 of the 181 passengers.
In January, malicious posts and comments targeting the victims and their families circulated online, prompting the National Office of Investigation to dispatch 118 officers as part of special teams tasked with cracking down on secondary harm.
“We’ve suffered tremendously from secondary victimization over the past three years. It seriously disrupted our mourning and remembrance,” Lee Jeong-min, head of the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Council, told The Korea Times.
“That’s why the president’s recent directive carries significant meaning,” Lee added. “This isn’t just about us. In the case of the Sewol ferry disaster, secondary victimization has continued for the past 10 years. It’s become deeply rooted — almost like a cultural norm — and we’ve long urged the government to address the issue at its core.”