| Knowledge-Net for a Better World |
May 2020 |
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ADRN Special Issue Briefing Series
COVID-19 and Fake News
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South Korea’s COVID-19 Crisis Management
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| "What kind of fake news is spreading within Thailand and India and how did South Korea manage the COVID-19 crisis?" |
COVID-19 has overtaken the international community throughout the first quarter of 2020. It has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and over three million confirmed cases, wreaking havoc on all aspects of society, including the global economy and politics. The countries affected by COVID-19 include those where members of the Asia Democracy Research Network (ADRN) reside. Some of these countries have officially announced lockdowns of cities or the entire country, with economic activities slowing to a near-total halt. As much as COVID-19 has dominated the media, the spread of fake news on the virus has also become a serious problem. Fake news often threatens democracy and can be used for propaganda that misleads people’s political decisions. It also becomes a lethal factor when directly linked with the necessities of life. In this regard, ADRN presents two articles that analyze the types of fake news that has been spread throughout Thailand and India and their impacts on both Thai and Indian societies. In addition, ADRN presents an article on South Korea’s COVID-19 management and its continued upholding of democratic values.
1. COVID-19 and Fake News in Thailand by Thawilwadee Bureekul
2. COVID-19 and Fake News: India Fights Two Viruses by Niranjan Sahoo
3. Guarding Democratic Values: South Korea’s Successful Fight against the Coronavirus by Sook Jong Lee
Dr. Thawilwadee Bureekul from King Prajadhipok’s Institute explains that Thai people have experienced a fast spread of fake news after the sharp rise in confirmed COVID-19. As a result, people have been convinced to stock up on food and water from the supermarket. She points out that Thai government is providing efforts to control the spread of fake news with their Computer Crimes Act and Anti-Fake New Center. Despite the difficult situation caused by fake news on COVID-19, she argues that the amount of fake news has been decreasing with the decline in COVID-19 cases and the Thai government’s strict enforcement of the anti-fake news law.
Dr. Niranjan Sahoo of Observer Research Foundation also discusses the spread of fake news on COVID-19 within India. He argues that in addition to fake news on how to cure the virus, people in India have used the COVID-19 pandemic to “push their own agendas and hidden motives” such as promoting Islamophobia. He adds that although a large number of people have been arrested for spreading fake news, the spread of fake news on the pandemic continues to thrive and negatively affect communal efforts to fight against virus.
On the other hand, Dr. Sook Jong Lee discusses South Korea’s management of COVID-19 and the democratic value it offers. She explains that South Korea has been relatively successful in managing the pandemic, which has been praised by several figures of the United States. She points out that the public’s voluntary compliance with social distancing has been the key to success. Regarding South Korea’s recent election, she explains that the postponement of the general election has not been discussed seriously since it is considered to be a “fundamental component of democracy” by Koreans. However, she also proposes that South Korea needs to strike “the right balance between surveillance and privacy” in handling the pandemic by utilizing advanced IT infrastructure to practice contact tracing. |
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