Police have applied for an arrest warrant for Ji Man-won, an 84-year-old conservative commentator, on charges of repeatedly disseminating claims that North Korean troops were involved in the Gwangju Uprising, thereby damaging the reputation of victims and their families. Ji previously served a two-year prison sentence for similar claims.
According to the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, the Cyber Investigation Unit submitted the pre-arrest warrant application on October 14 for violations of the Gwangju Uprising Act and defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. The Suwon District Prosecutor's Office plans to interview Ji and decide whether to request a warrant from the court.
Ji is accused of referring to citizens who participated in the Gwangju Uprising as 'members of North Korea's corpse disposal team' and using terms like 'corpse trading event' on his website, 'Ji Man-won's System Club,' where he allegedly posted over 60 articles promoting the North Korean involvement theory. The police began their investigation after discovering multiple related posts on Ji's site while monitoring online content around May 18.
The theory of North Korean involvement in the Gwangju Uprising has been repeatedly debunked by official investigations. In 2013, the Ministry of National Defense stated it could not confirm any involvement by North Korean special forces, and the Gwangju Uprising Truth Commission concluded in its 2024 comprehensive report that the claims of North Korean troop deployment were unfounded and lacked evidence.
The current Gwangju Uprising Act prohibits the dissemination of false information regarding the uprising through newspapers, broadcasts, publications, or online platforms. However, exceptions are made for artistic, academic, research, and journalistic purposes.
During police questioning, Ji reportedly claimed that his posts constituted academic research. However, police determined that he did not follow standard research procedures, such as objective source review, making it difficult to classify his posts as falling under the legal exceptions for academic and research purposes.
Ji has a history of criminal convictions for promoting the North Korean involvement theory. In January 2023, he was sentenced to two years in prison by the Supreme Court for defaming citizens who participated in the Gwangju Uprising by labeling them as 'North Korean special forces.'
He has also faced civil lawsuits resulting in compensation judgments. The Gwangju High Court upheld a lower court ruling last October, ordering Ji to pay a total of 90 million won to the Gwangju Uprising Memorial Foundation and individuals involved in the movement for publishing a book containing the North Korean involvement claims. Previous lawsuits have also resulted in orders for damages and prohibitions on the publication and distribution of related materials.
Despite these criminal and civil penalties, Ji has continued to promote his claims, recently publishing a book titled 'Portrait of 5·18,' which includes the North Korean involvement theory.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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