The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 27th that it is responding to fake news about the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean and the safety management of marine products. The policy is to prevent damage that may occur due to fake news in advance and prepare and implement response plans so that the public can use our seafood with peace of mind.
From June 15 to present, the government has been holding daily briefings on Fukushima contaminated water response, co-chaired by the First Deputy Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, a total of 70 times every Monday to Friday. We report on the safety management status of our waters and marine products, radioactivity testing status of imported marine products, emergency marine radioactivity investigation status, etc. on a daily basis, and explain information that is different from facts based on objective evidence and data.
In addition, on the 25th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries hosted the ‘Innovation N Dolphins Meeting’, which consisted of 23 officers and managers in their 20s and 30s who had recently joined the company, and held an open discussion on how to effectively respond to fake news.
Participants agreed that rather than responding to fake news one by one after the fact, it is necessary to transparently provide policy-related information in advance on current issues of high public interest and to diversify platforms. Additionally, opinions were suggested that it would be helpful to share information that is difficult for the general public to access, such as studying other countries’ response cases or examining the responses of other countries in the affected area.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries decided to launch the “Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Fake News TF (hereinafter referred to as the Fake News TF)” headed by Vice Minister Park Seong-hoon. The Fake News TF plans to operate in a flexible manner, encompassing employees including the Spokesperson’s Office and Innovation N Dolphins, and those in charge of related work.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced its plan to “continue to take decisive action to ensure that fake news does not threaten the livelihoods of citizens working in the fishing industry and does not infringe on the rights and freedoms of the people.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.