Secondary Damage Spreads from "Cafe Freezer Body" Case: "Our Cafe Is Not Involved"

Information Spreads on SNS, Causing Collateral Damage

Spreading False Information May Result in Criminal Charges

As the case of a woman in her 60s being found dead in the freezer of a cafe has shocked the public, some unrelated businesses have suffered damage due to indiscriminate speculation by certain internet users.

On September 4, the body of a woman in her 60s was discovered in the freezer of a cafe in Paju, Gyeonggi Province. At that time, police responded to a report from the missing woman's family stating that their "mother was missing." The police have since identified Mr. A, a man in his 30s and the owner of the cafe who was last seen with the missing person, as a suspect and have launched an investigation.

The scene of the cafe in Paju, Gyeonggi Province where the incident broke out. Photo by Yonhap News

As the incident spread online through social networking services (SNS), some internet users mistakenly identified Cafe B, which uses a similar name, as being the site of the incident. This led to disruptions for the business of a cafe that was not connected to the crime in any way.

As the controversy escalated, the operators of Cafe B posted a notice stating, "We have no connection whatsoever to the incident. The confusion appears to have arisen because a similar name is used," and added, "We ask that there be no misunderstandings about the cafe or its staff based on information that has not been verified."

This is not the first time that unrelated companies or individuals have suffered harm as information about incidents has spread online. In April, after it became known that a cafe owner in Cheongju had accused a part-time worker of embezzling beverages, the owner's personal information was spread online, leading to boycotts and fake orders being placed.

A cafe unrelated to the incident has become embroiled in controversy. An explanatory post by the cafe owner. Screenshot from the online homepage.

In the process, another restaurant owner who simply shared the same name as the problematic cafe owner also became a target, even though he was unrelated to the incident. The controversy only subsided after the owner posted a clarification himself.

Meanwhile, if a third party's personal information is disclosed or false information is spread based on facts that have not been verified, criminal penalties may result. Article 44-7(2) of the current Information and Communications Network Act prohibits the distribution of illegal information, including the public disclosure of false facts with the intent to defame others. Depending on how the information is spread, charges such as defamation or insult may be applied. Inappropriate handling of personal data may also be prosecuted as a violation of the Personal Information Protection Act.

For crimes related to defamation or mishandling personal information, courts may sentence offenders to a minimum of 6 months to over 1 year in prison.

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