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S. Korean gov’t bans access to 29 ISIS-related online postings

January 22, 2015

(Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — South Korea’s communications watchdog said Thursday it banned local access to 29 online postings related to the Islamic State (IS), the latest result of government monitoring of potential contacts with terrorist groups.

The Korea Communications Standards Commission said the banned contents include a Twitter posting titled “ISIS Jobs openings” and its copies being circulated online. The posting said the group is seeking to recruit hackers, programmers and other experts from various fields.

The move came a day after state authorities said it will expand monitoring of the social network services and shut down access to content that influences people to carry out terrorist acts or join terrorist groups.

An 18-year-old South Korean, identified only by his surname Kim, disappeared on Jan. 10 during a trip to the southern Turkish town of Kilis. South Korean investigators suspect he tried to cross into Syria, possibly to join the IS. Kim is said to have accessed links to the IS and used SNS to keep in contact with a friend who may have connected him to the militant group.

South Korea’s communications law stipulates that the government can ban the circulation of any “information, including racism, genocide, terrorism, and others, that can significantly threaten international peace and order.”