Ministry of Agriculture to Review Legal Action Against 3 Malicious Posts Regarding Brazilian Eggs

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) has decided to take strong action against maliciously distorted fake news and online posts related to agricultural administration.

During a briefing at the press room of the Government Complex Sejong on October 19, MAFRA Spokesperson Byun Sang-moon stated that false and distorted information surrounding the import of Brazilian eggs and agricultural land investigations is spreading indiscriminately across social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.

Spokesperson Byun explained that while the ministry has previously clarified the facts regarding relevant pending issues through explanatory and rebuttal materials as well as interviews with the minister, some social media posts are maliciously distorting the intent of government policies.

He cited examples of false information, including claims regarding the import of Brazilian eggs that "it is intended to raise presidential election funds for the Brazilian president," and regarding the comprehensive investigation into agricultural land that "its purpose is to nationalize agricultural land."

Spokesperson Byun said, "Recently, many people receive information through social media."

"Provocative posts spread rapidly through algorithms, making it easy for people to accept them as facts," he added, noting that "malicious posts are severely undermining trust in government policies, and the social confusion caused by citizens encountering incorrect information has become so serious that we can no longer overlook it."

He stated, "We are primarily reviewing legal procedures for three posts regarding the import of Brazilian eggs that exhibit a particularly high degree of malice and severity."

In addition, he added, "MAFRA is closely monitoring the creation and spread of posts containing false information by assigning dedicated personnel, and we also plan to operate a fake news reporting center."

Spokesperson Byun emphasized, "We plan to pursue prompt requests for the removal of malicious posts along with strong legal responses, and we will do our utmost to communicate transparently so that correct information can be delivered."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.