Families of Jeju plane crash victims mocked, targeted by hate comments online

SEOUL – A disturbing pattern of online hate speech and misinformation has emerged in the wake of the tragic Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport, targeting the victims and their grieving families.

from the accident on December 29Social media platforms and online communities have been inundated with hateful comments and false narratives about victims and their families. Among the most notable cases was a derogatory post suggesting that victims’ families were “delighted” to receive government-supported compensation.

A man in his 30s was arrested for posting a comment that said: “Think about the amount of compensation for all those people, families with multiple deaths must be delighted.” Other comments included: “Why do we have to cry? They get paid” and “The crash pilot just wanted to play the hero.”

Unfounded rumors also circulated about the flight’s crew, falsely claiming that both the pilot and co-pilot were women, sparking a wave of misogynistic comments. Both were identified as men.

Regional discrimination also emerged, with hate speech directed at Muan International Airport and the surrounding region. South Korea has a long history of regionalism, particularly between the provinces of Jeolla and Gyeongsang. Labeling the incident as the “Muan accident” could unintentionally reinforce negative stereotypes about the Jeolla region. In response, the Ministry of Transportation emphasized that the official name of the incident is “December 29 Jeju Air plane crash”.

This alarming trend of hostility reflects previous national tragedies. In both the Sewol ferry disaster and the gathering of crowds in Itaewon, grieving families were subjected to public ridicule and harmful narratives. The data revealed that of the 46 defamation cases related to the Sewol tragedy, 41 resulted in convictions. Similarly, defamation cases related to the Itaewon disaster were reported to the police, and 17 of them were referred to prosecutors.

Dr. Koo Jeong-woo, professor of sociology at Sungkyunkwan University, pointed to the lack of empathy in society as the reason behind such a reaction. “The complexity and extremism of society have left many isolated. And these people tend to express their thoughts in a strange and extreme way to get attention,” he said.

The mockery of victims and their families for compensation may be due to deep feelings of resentment and injustice, which could be fueling these hurtful comments.

“For national disasters such as the Sewol ferry disaster and the Itaewon mass clash, the government created a compensation support fund. People who live hand to mouth feel that compensation is overrated and say that the bereaved are getting a ‘raw deal’ and that they are making a big deal when everyone’s lives are difficult,” Dr Koo added.

Under current South Korean law, people who post defamatory or insulting content online can face charges such as defamation of the deceased, insult, or obstruction of business. However, historically punishments have been minimal. For example, a person who posted a doctored poster mocking the families of the Sewol ferry victims was fined just one million won (S$934). Similarly, an individual who posted sexually derogatory comments about the victims of the Itaewon tragedy in a chat room was acquitted in both the first and second trials.

The harm caused by fake news and malicious comments goes beyond legal concerns. The psychological impact on grieving families is profound and adds to their already unbearable suffering. Professor Lim Myung-ho from the Department of Psychology at Dankook University emphasized the importance of preventing secondary damage.

“We must be more cautious in distributing information from unclear sources to avoid further harm to victims’ families,” Dr Lim said.

The current spread of misinformation and ridicule not only deepens the trauma of grieving families, but also fuels public distrust and division in times of national crisis, experts warned. ASIA/KOREA HERALD NEWS NETWORK

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