Itaewon Tragedy: Twitter and Kakao ask people to refrain from sharing insensitive comments and disturbing media

Twitter Korea and Kakao Daum Cafe issued a caution notice to the platforms' users for sharing or uploading any posts or comments about the Itaewon tragedy that claimed the lives of 154 people. These two platforms are among the most popular social media networks in South Korea.

Since the Itaewon tragedy on the night of October 29, the nation of South Korea has been in a period of mourning. Around 100,000 people were reported to have attended the Halloween celebrations in Itaewon that turned dangerous. The vast majority of people at or near the incident meant that multiple videos and pictures were recorded.

International Twitter is also filled with videos of the crowd crush, several people performing CPR on other people lying on the road, bodies of the deceased covered with medical bags or clothes lined up at the side of a road and much more sensitive imagery. Such media can further damage an individual’s mental health.

The tragedy is also taking an even more sorrowful turn as there are some conversations surrounding it that have turned into a blame game. In some cases, the victims were blamed for their decision to go out and celebrate Halloween. In other cases, misinformation and rumors about the tragedy were being spread.

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Twitter Korea and Kakao Daum Cafe request people to refrain from widely sharing Itaewon tragedy media, asks to be sensitive to others

Online platforms are a breeding ground for malicious comments and misinformation about everything under the sun. The Itaewon tragedy, the biggest disaster to befall South Korea after the 2014 Sewol Ferry Disaster, also became a target. As time passed by, more and more videos of the deceased began spreading on social media.

Twitter Korea posted its policy regarding the sensitive content of the Itaewon tragedy. They asked users to report any problematic tweet and refrain from resharing sensitive media.

“Here is Twitter’s policy in response to sensitive media. Please take note of our policy about photos and videos of the site of the Itaewon accident, and if you find any problematic tweets, we hope you will report them. Also, please refrain from retweeting any sensitive tweets. May those that were sacrificed in the accident rest in peace.”

Kakao Daum Cafe also requested that they report any posts (with or without media) or comments that may contain unverified facts, expose the victims or hurt the deceased’s families.

Social media platforms asks users to refrain from posting sensitive content regarding the Itaewon tragedy

Below is the English translated notice by Kakao Daum Cafe via Koreaboo:

“[Announcement] Request For Caution To Be Heeded With Posts About The Itaewon Tragedy

Hello. This is Kakao Daum Cafe’s service manager. We request for you to be cautious about posts and comments regarding the largescale accident that happened in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on October 29, where people lost their lives.

We hope you will refrain as much as you can from sharing and spreading unverified facts as well as from uploading videos or photos that expose the victims. Please report any posts through the service center or otherwise, if you find any that may cause hurt to the victims or their families. May those that were sacrificed in the accident rest in peace. Thank you.”

The notices arrive at a time when they are most needed. The conversation around blaming the youth for attending Halloween celebrations became unrestricted and grew with time. Even K-pop artist HOLLAND spoke up and asked others not to mock the deceased.

HOLLAND's tweet addressing the ill-intentioned conversation around victims of the Itaewon tragedy (Screenshot via Twitter/HOLLAND_vvv)

The Itaewon disaster claimed the lives of at least 154 people, a majority of whom were teenagers and people in their 20s. South Korea will be in a period of mourning until November 5.