Sulli, a former South Korean singer, and actress, was a victim of hateful online comments for multiple years, receiving constant insults for her outspokenness. She did not conform to the conservative social norms and expectations ?? she revealed her romantic relationship with another K-pop artist and was publicly open about not wearing a bra. Unfortunately, the young girl who was fearless about expressing her thoughts committed suicide after suffering from chronic depression driven by extreme insults. Many have raised concerns over cyberbullying in the wake of the 25-year-old girl’s death. Thus, we should implement a real-name online comment system in local web portals to allow users to reflect on the repercussions before posting unconstructive comments.

 

Executing the policy of a real user name online can easily prevent thoughtless comments. Triggered by the sudden advancement in technology, according to police data, cases of cyber defamation have almost doubled from 2014 to 2018. In other words, people today effortlessly browse through web pages and leave comments using their electronic devices. The majority goes into impulsive comments, thinking their one comment would not have the merest effect on influencers. Yet, if this plan were employed, they would be more cautious about their writing. This would reduce the chances of online profiles suffering from depression, social phobia, or verbal abuse online. 

 

To resolve the growing cyberbullying threats, some have called for harsher penalties, including fines and detentions. However, the suggested repercussions for malicious comments online do not appear proportionate. Alternatively, the non-anonymous approach is preferable because it would lead to a minimal loss for both the user and the recipient. Moreover, according to Realmeter, a Korean polling agency, 70 percent favored revealing real names online, whereas 30 percent of the 502 respondents are opposed. This presents the public support for this motion as similar related bills have been issued in the parliament for years.

 

The case of Sulli is not an exception. Numerous top figures continue to undergo traumatic psychological effects and even experience physical insults while in the entertainment industry. The anonymous comment culture online only exacerbates atrocities like that of Sulli.