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.

Since the crash on Dec. 29, social media platforms and online communities have been inundated with hateful comments and false narratives about the victims and their families. Among the most notable instances was a derogatory post suggesting that the victims’ families were “delighted” about receiving compensation supported by the government.

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

Baseless rumors circulated about the flight crew as well, falsely claiming that both the pilot and co-pilot were women, fueling a surge of misogynistic comments. Both were identified as male.

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

This alarming trend of hostility mirrors previous national tragedies. In both the Sewol Ferry disaster and the Itaewon crowd crush, bereaved families were subjected to public mockery and harmful narratives. Data revealed that of the 46 defamation cases related to the Sewol tragedy, 41 resulted in convictions. Similarly, defamation cases linked to the Itaewon disaster had been reported to the police, with 17 forwarded to prosecutors.

Koo Jeong-woo, a sociology professor at Sungkyunkwan University, pointed to a lack of empathy in society as a reason behind such backlash. “Complexity and extremism in society have left many isolated. And these people tend to express their thoughts in a bizarre and extreme way so that they can get attention,” he said.

The mocking of the victims and their families over compensation may stem from deep feelings of resentment and injustice, which could be fueling these hurtful comments.

“For national disasters such as the Sewol ferry disaster and Itaewon crowd crash, the government laid out a compensation support fund. People who are living day by day feel the compensation is overrated and say the bereaved are getting ‘unfair treatment’ and that they are making a big deal when everyone’s life is hard,” Koo added.

Under current South Korean law, individuals who post defamatory or insulting content online can face charges such as defamation of the deceased, insult, or obstruction of business. However, punishments have historically been minimal. For example, a person who posted a manipulated poster mocking Sewol Ferry victims’ families was fined only 1 million won ($680). Similarly, an individual who posted sexually derogatory comments about Itaewon tragedy victims in a chatroom was acquitted in both the first and second trials.

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

“We must be more cautious in distributing information from unclear sources to prevent additional harm to victims’ families,” Lim stated.

The ongoing spread of misinformation and mockery not only deepens the trauma for bereaved families but also fuels public distrust and division during times of national crisis, experts warned.

In association with The Asia News Network.