Communications regulator vows to eradicate ‘fake news’

Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Han Sanghyuk called for the creation of more institutions dedicated to checking whether or not certain information is based on fact, in a bid to stop the spread of “fake news” in the nation.

Han, who took the office in September, made the remarks during his first luncheon with journalists as KCC chairman, Wednesday.

“Both ruling and opposition parties, as well as members of the public, are all aware of the problem of fake news, thus it is surely necessary to come up with proper countermeasures,” he said.

“I believe that boosting fact-checking institutions trusted by the public could be one measure.”

Han said, however, that it would be improper to establish such an institution within the KCC as it could provoke concerns over government infringement of freedom of speech.

He said the fact-checking institutions should be set up in private sector entities such as universities.

“I think the KCC can financially support those institutions and help them ensure internal stability,” he said.

The role of the institutions would be ascertaining the genuineness of information that is circulated especially online, and delivering their findings to media companies and regulatory agencies, he said.

Han noted a KCC-affiliated organization has also carried out education campaigns to prevent the distribution of disinformation.

During the luncheon, Han also stressed the need to enhance cooperation between relevant ministries as the boundaries between broadcasting and communications industries are fading quickly amid rapidly changing market trends.

“The KCC, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism have sometimes come into conflict as areas they deal with have increasingly overlapped. This has consequently brought disadvantages to the public,” he said.

“The ministries need to strengthen cooperation in dealing with jurisdictional problems and share the duties and responsibilities more substantially.”

Han also vowed to lift regulations that are behind the times and obstructing the growth of the industry.

Courtesy of Korea Communications Commission Korea Communications Commission (KCC) Chairman Han Sang-hyuk speaks during a luncheon with journalists at the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday.