"Questioning the Effectiveness of Ilbe Shutdown... Hate Has Shifted to Communities Like 'Femco'"

On CBS Radio, Professor Kim Analyzes the "Ilbe Certification" Controversy in Bongha Village
"Shutting Down Sites Has Limits... Regulation of Collective Hate Is Needed"

Kim Mankwon, a political philosopher and academic research professor at Kyung Hee University, has expressed concern that what he calls "the grammar of Ilgan Best Storage (Ilbe)" has deeply permeated everyday life, in relation to the recent controversy over so-called "Ilbe certification" that erupted in Bongha Village. He questioned the effectiveness of shutting down the Ilbe website, emphasizing instead the need for institutional mechanisms to regulate hate and mockery.

Sujin Cho, director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, claimed that on the 23rd, during the 17th anniversary memorial service for former President Roh Moo-hyun, a visitor presumed to be a user of Ilgan Best Storage made the finger gesture symbolizing Ilbe while taking a photo. Sujin Cho, director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, Facebook

According to CBS Radio's on the 28th, Professor Kim appeared on the program and addressed the controversy that arose in Bongha Village on the day of the memorial service for the late President Roh Moo-hyun. He stated, "Mockery and hatred toward our history, the victims of tragic events, and the democracy achieved by the people have become deeply entrenched."

Professor Kim described this phenomenon as "the grammar of Ilbe." He explained, "Ridicule, hatred, discrimination, and contempt that were previously hidden are now openly displayed and widely accepted in society," adding, "I am concerned that a phenomenon like this may be starting to take hold in our country as well."

He noted that Ilbe has mainly targeted women, residents of the Honam region, and the political left. Professor Kim analyzed that these groups have been denigrated as "those who do not conform to the existing order," and that this logic, when combined with the claims of far-right groups, has led to the denigration of democracy itself.

However, Professor Kim did not see shutting down the Ilbe website as a fundamental solution. He said, "It does not seem possible under current law," and added, "If we consider whether closing the Ilbe website would effectively block the spread of hate, contempt, and ridicule, I don't think it would have much impact."

He continued, "In reality, users have already moved on to other sites," pointing out, "Groups that promote hate, ridicule, and contempt are active elsewhere, so it is questionable whether closing just the Ilbe website would be effective in stopping this behavior."

Professor Kim also said, "Among researchers, communities like FM Korea (Femco) are cited as spaces where real problems occur," noting that "with users now spread across various communities, simply shutting down a single site makes it difficult to block hate culture."

He stressed that institutional responses to collective hate are needed, rather than merely shutting down specific sites. Professor Kim pointed out, "There are currently no regulations on collective hate in Korean law, nor any definitions for hate," adding, "Rather than dealing with everything as individual defamation, we must consider how to respond to hate directed at groups."

He added, "The essence of hate is that it manifests as attacks on specific groups, not individuals. If we clearly define in law which groups should be protected and accumulate case law, we can establish clear standards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.