{"id":2207578,"date":"2024-12-19T14:46:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T05:46:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2207578"},"modified":"2024-12-19T14:46:49","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T05:46:49","slug":"misinformation-in-south-korea-soars-during-and-after-martial-law-declaration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/12\/misinformation-in-south-korea-soars-during-and-after-martial-law-declaration\/","title":{"rendered":"Misinformation in South Korea soars during and after martial law declaration"},"content":{"rendered":"
Tanks rolling down the street. Innocent citizens and opposition politicians being arrested in the middle of the night. \u201cAssassination squads\u201d targeting prominent progressive voices.<\/span><\/p>\n These were a few of the rumors and unverified claims flying around after the now-suspended President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s surprise martial law declaration on Dec. 3, as chaos and confusion briefly took hold of South Korea.<\/span><\/p>\n Most of these fears were dispelled quickly, but in the wake of Yoon\u2019s controversial move, politicians and news outlets kept circulating unverified claims about the fast-changing situation.<\/span><\/p>\n These wild rumors highlight the dangers of <\/span>misinformation in South Korea<\/span><\/a> \u2014 a country where high levels of education and digital exposure have done little to improve people\u2019s ability to verify the dubious claims that often sweep through political echo chambers.<\/span><\/p>\n These systemic challenges persist due to citizens\u2019 <\/span>disillusionment<\/span><\/a> after decades of media collusion with politicians and the government\u2019s efforts to hinder verification platforms, but experts noted that the speed with which many South Koreans debunked such false claims bodes well for the country\u2019s battle with misinformation.<\/span><\/p>\n