Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs "Reviewing legal action against 3 malicious posts about Brazilian eggs" (comprehensive)

Strong policy to respond to distorted information on Brazilian egg imports and farmland surveys

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Hong Guk-ki = The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has decided to take strong action against maliciously distorted fake news and online posts related to agricultural policy.

Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson Byeon Sang-moon said this in the press room of the Sejong Government Complex on the 19th, saying that false and distorted information surrounding the import of Brazilian eggs and farmland surveys is being spread indiscriminately on social media (SNS) such as YouTube and Instagram.

Spokesperson Byun explained that the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been revealing the facts of related issues through explanations and rebuttal materials and interviews with ministers, but the purpose of the government's policy is being maliciously distorted in some social media posts.

He presented posts as examples of false information, such as 'The purpose is to provide the Brazilian president with funds for the presidential election' in relation to the import of eggs from Brazil, and 'The purpose is to nationalize farmland' in relation to the complete survey of farmland.

Spokesperson Byun said, "Recently, many people access information through social media. Provocative posts are spreading quickly through algorithms, and it is easy to accept them as fact. The credibility of government policies is being seriously damaged by malicious posts, and the social confusion that arises as people encounter incorrect information is becoming more serious. This is a situation that can no longer be tolerated."

At the same time, he said, “We are considering pursuing legal proceedings as a priority for three posts that are particularly malicious and serious in relation to the import of eggs from Brazil.”

In addition, “the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is closely monitoring the production and spread of posts containing false information through the deployment of dedicated personnel,” he said, adding, “We also plan to operate a fake news reporting center.”

Spokesperson Byun emphasized, "We plan to request prompt deletion of malicious posts as well as take strong legal action," adding, "We will do our best to disclose and communicate transparently to ensure that correct information is delivered."