The president made this statement while sharing an article on social media that reported comments from Jo Soo-jin, a director at the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation.
Jo claimed that a visitor, appearing to be an Ilbe user, wore an Ilbe T-shirt and made a hand gesture associated with the site during the memorial service for the late President Roh Moo-hyun, which took place the previous day.
President Lee stated, "There are arguments that freedom of expression should protect actions that incite social division and conflict, like those seen on Ilbe, as well as calls for punishment and sanctions." He acknowledged the ongoing debate regarding the closure of Ilbe.
He continued, "It seems necessary to publicly discuss allowing punitive damages and the closure of sites that promote mockery and hate speech, under strict conditions, as well as other necessary measures such as fines."
The president added, "I will also instruct the Cabinet to address this issue."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.