▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae on May 28, 2026. (Yonhap)

Lee-disaster victims

Lee vows zero tolerance for those who defame disaster victims

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday he will not tolerate those who insult victims and bereaved families of man-made disasters.

"I will order authorities to thoroughly investigate and sternly punish" anyone who does so, he said, citing a recent case in which a man in his 50s was arrested for allegedly posting more than 3,000 defamatory messages targeting victims and their families of the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush and the 2024 Jeju Air crash.

"Why on earth would someone do this?" Lee wrote on X. "He should put himself in their shoes; imagine if his family were among the victims."

The man was arrested the previous day for allegedly spreading defamatory content and groundless allegations against victims and their families on major online forums since 2022.

The case marked the third case where a suspect was arrested since police established a special investigation team in July, at Lee's direction, to crack down on those who inflict secondary harm on disaster victims and their families.

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