SEOUL — "Shocking facts . . . suspicions about Choi Jin-sil."
The post about one of South Korea's most beloved actresses surfaced in an online club for stock investors last month, days after an actor friend of hers committed suicide. The post went on to claim that the dead actor had owed Choi money.
The rumor was copied and spread widely over the next days, with online posters blaming Choi's money lending for the actor's death. Choi, a national sweetheart long admired for overcoming adversity, resented and strongly denied the rumor. She said she was "scared that the world distorts friendship."
Less than two weeks later, Choi was found hanged in the bathroom of her house in Seoul, prompting some in the South Korean news media to point the finger at Internet gossipmongers, who were accused of driving the mother of two to take her life.
Though the reasons behind Choi's suicide remain unclear, her death has fueled a debate over how to tackle what are considered the two biggest social problems in South Korea: suicide and so-called cyber-terrorism.
Since Choi's death, many high-profile figures have expressed sympathy for her emotional suffering from comments made by online posters.
Chun Yeo-ok, a lawmaker with the ruling Grand National Party famous for her acid wit and provocative remarks, said she had been deeply hurt herself by Web-based rumors that circulated while she was running for office. It got so bad, she said, she contemplated jumping from her five-story office building.
"People who inflict cyber-terrorism must pay the appropriate price," Chun wrote in an Oct. 4 posting on her website.
In a program broadcast after Choi's death, Song Yoon-ah, another TV star who was once a target of online slandering, recalled a conversation with Choi.
"She advised me to stay away from the Internet, and not to read the comments," Song said in an interview with MBC TV.
Choi's suicide came at a time when government officials are pushing to introduce new clauses in communication laws to enforce harsher punishment for cyber-insults. The country is also preparing to extend an existing law that requires Web service providers to confirm social security numbers and the real names of users.
The Internet is a deeply ingrained part of South Korean society, where 9 in 10 households have access to cheap broadband. On every corner, stores are equipped with pay-per-hour computers, usually in use by young gamers. The nation's computer usage is among the highest in the world, with each user online an average of 34 hours a month, according to a 2007 survey.
