"Every time the current regime creates strange laws to muzzle the people, I feel a sense of frustration and disappointment, as if I escaped the tiger's den only to end up in a wolf's lair."

The hearts of North Korean defectors are truly heavy as they look upon the amended Information and Communications Network Act, the core of which is "a fine of up to 1 billion won for misinformation and fake news."

We are the ones who risked our lives to flee the North Korean dictatorship—where people have mouths but no freedom to speak—to come to this Republic of Korea, where freedom of the press and expression are supposed to flow like a river.

Yet, every time the current regime creates strange laws to muzzle the people, I feel a sense of frustration and disappointment, as if I escaped the tiger's den only to end up in a wolf's lair.

Two Presidents Impeached by Fake News

Of course, the stated purpose of the amended act—to prevent misinformation and fake news—is inherently good. But let us all be honest. Who are the ones who have created and benefited the most from fake news and misinformation so far? Isn't it the left-wing forces currently occupying the halls of power?

The imprisonment of President Park Geun-hye after being impeached based on fake news, and the ongoing imprisonment of Choi Soon-sil and other patriots who were targeted by fake news alleging that they hid hundreds of billions of won abroad and manipulated state affairs, serve as living witnesses to this.

Patriotic citizens do not accept the impeachment and imprisonment of President Yoon Suk-yeol on the false charge of "insurrection." The countless citizens shouting for a "Yoon-Again" cannot all be fools or criminals.

Yet, the fact that they are now issuing such draconian proclamations as if it were the conservative right spreading fake news and misinformation is proof that this regime has something to hide.

Who Decides What Is Fake News?

The biggest problem is: who decides what constitutes fake news, and by what standard?

Ordinary citizens, who have neither the authority nor the power, cannot judge or adjudicate misinformation and fake news. It is obvious that in the end, those in power will assess and judge what is "fake" according to their own tastes.

If those in power like something, who would dare stop it, even if the public views it as highly negative? Conversely, if those in power say something is not true, who would dare to disagree, even if it were highly beneficial to the nation and its people?

Let me give an example. A bill has been proposed that would sentence people to five years in prison for criticizing China. Among the 50 million citizens, how many would agree with this? Yet, the Information and Communications Network Act aims to silence the people and prevent them from even speaking out against such flawed laws.

Ultimately, isn't this just the leftists—who used to deny the Republic of Korea and chant slogans praising Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il—now trying to abolish the National Security Act to suit their activities and, furthermore, muzzling the mouths of the people?

This goes beyond merely infringing on freedom of expression in a free Republic of Korea; it is a dictatorship that seeks to completely block freedom of the press and freedom of expression.

In other words, I want to ask the government and the National Assembly: is the purpose of this act not to use the mask of catching fake news peddlers and protecting victims to actually cut off the public opinion that opposes the Lee Jae-myung administration at its source?

As a former "member of the Workers' Party of Korea" who knows all too well how much such bills terrorize the people, I write this with a very heavy and anxious heart.

◆ Advisor Kim Tae-san

Advisor to the Hanmi Ilbo and former representative of a North Korean trading company in the Czech Republic. In South Korea, he has served as Vice President of the Institute for North Korean Society, providing deep insights and experience regarding inter-Korean relations and North Korean issues.