Cell Phone Did Not Kill South Korean Man

Today police arrested a coworker of the dead South Korean man who we recently reported may have been killed by an exploding cell phone battery found on the man.
The coworker is being charged with manslaughter. Apparently, the coworker confessed to accidentally killing Mr. Seo by backing into him with a drilling vehicle, and then trying to frame the cell phone.

This has to be relief for LG stockholders; however, LG felt that a fatal battery explosion would be virtually impossible. It seems the media rushed to report that the man was most likely killed by his cell phone, however, the body was found with broken bones, heart damage in addition to the melted cell phone.
It quickly became obvious that a cell phone couldn't cause all the injuries the man suffered. As result, the Korea Times noted today in an editorial:

We have often seen cases of fierce competition for media coverage causing irresponsible reporting not based on facts but on rumors, speculation and unconfirmed sources....Reporters, editors and publishers are struggling to meet both timeliness and accuracy. They try not to sacrifice one thing for the other. But, it is not easy for them to do both at the same time in a highly competitive environment.

Media outlets should learn a lesson from the cell phone case. They must be careful not to repeat the mistake of false reporting, which might cause irrevocable damage to businesses, the public, the government, or the country.

This is the second time a report quickly spread about a cell phone causing injury which wasn’t true. Last January in Vallejo, CA, a man was seriously burned after his cell phone caught fire and ignited his clothing. However, a California fire investigator reversed the earlier finding and stated that the cell phone was not the cause.


Join		& get our news delivered to your in-box!
* Remember to check your in-box to confirm subscription.

Cell Phone Did Not Kill South Korean Man

Post a comment