"May 18 Was Ordered by Kim Il-sung"... Man in His 40s Referred Without Detention for Posting False Information on Social Media

Suspected Violation of the May 18 Fact-Finding Act

A man in his 40s has been referred to the prosecution after posting false information on social media claiming that "the May 18 Democratic Uprising occurred on the orders of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung."

Front view of Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station. Photo by Hosoo Park

On August 21, Seoul Dongdaemun Police Station announced that it had referred Mr. A, a man in his 40s, to the prosecution without detention on charges of violating the May 18 Fact-Finding Act.

According to the police, Mr. A is accused of posting on his social media account on May 19 that "the May 18 Democratic Uprising was carried out under instructions from North Korean leader Kim Il-sung." The post has since been deleted.

A police official stated, "Distorting the history of May 18 not only insults and defames the victims and their families, but can also lead to social confusion due to a misperception of history. Going forward, any malicious and clear production or dissemination of false information that goes beyond freedom of expression will be strictly investigated according to the law and principles."

Last month, Seoul Seodaemun Police Station also referred a woman in her 20s to the prosecution without detention on the same charge, after she posted a comment claiming that "the May 18 Democratic Uprising was an armed riot by anti-state forces."

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