Prosecutors Put Travel Ban on 20 Internet Users

The team responsible for investigating Internet crime under the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office announced that it has imposed a travel ban on some 20 Internet users who posted threatening messages on the Internet to companies to stop them from advertising in certain newspapers, including the Dong-A Ilbo.

“After monitoring, we have imposed a travel ban mostly on Internet users and Internet community managers who posted malicious messages frequently,” said Prosecutor Kim Soo-nam. “It is likely that the number of people under the travel ban will increase.”

The travel ban list includes Internet users who repeatedly posted messages that encouraged the boycotting of companies that ran ads in certain newspapers on the homepages of those companies or on Internet communities, and Internet community managers of Web portal Daum who led the boycott.

Prosecutors will call in some of those under the travel ban to find out whether they stole other people’s ID and repeatedly posted threatening messages on the Internet.

So far, prosecutors have analyzed 10,000 Web postings and traced the IP of Internet users who posted the messages to uncover their real identities.

needjung@donga.com