Photo not related to article. [Getty Images Bank]
Photo not related to article. [Getty Images Bank]

A man in his 40s has been referred to prosecutors on charges of spreading false claims on social media that the May 18 pro-democracy uprising was carried out on orders from North Korean leader Kim Il-sung.

The Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station forwarded the case against the man, identified only as A, to prosecutors on Aug. 13 without seeking his detention, on charges of violating the Special Act on the May 18 Democratization Movement.

A is accused of posting content on the social media platform Threads in May claiming that the May 18 pro-democracy movement was carried out "on orders from North Korea's Kim Il-sung." The post has since been deleted, police said.

"Distorting the history of the May 18 pro-democracy movement goes beyond insulting and defaming victims and their families — it can cause social confusion by spreading a distorted understanding of history," a police official said. "We will continue to investigate, in accordance with the law and principles, any malicious and clearly false production or dissemination of information that exceeds the bounds of freedom of expression."


choigo@heraldcorp.com