A Seoul court on Thursday fined a college student 1.5 million won (US$1,300) for producing and spreading parodies through the Internet that aimed to defame certain candidates ahead of the April 15 general elections.
It is the first time in South Korea that a citizen has been punished for producing parody works on the Internet.
The 26-year-old student, identified by the surname Shin, was accused of creating and posting some 20 parody photos on the Internet that were considered unfair for some candidates from the Grand National Party.
"Shin deserves punishment because he tried to influence the elections through his parody works,’’ the Seoul Central District Court said in the ruling. Shin said he would appeal.
"Everyone has the right to express their opinions by creating works, including parody works, but Shin’s work passed a limit and tried to influence politics with the works for a certain party,’’ the ruling said.
"Making parody is one thing and using it for political propaganda is another,’’ an official of the National Election Commission told The Korea Times. "The government is needed to strictly deal with those producing parody as a means to sway voters in elections and making political decisions. Such acts are obviously not condonable.
Ah, but it couldn't happen here. [The allusion, if you don't recognize it is to a book by Sinclair Lewis. (That Amazon price must be a typo. It's a little paperback. Shoot, I'd part with mine for a mere $65.00.)]
