Daum received the most complaints among large Korea Internet portals over postings including defamatory comments and obscene material. Some 10,717 complaints against Daum were filed with the Korea Communications Standards Commission from Feb. 29, 2008 to July 31, 2009.

The figure comes from a report submitted by the commission to independent lawmaker Song Hun-suk, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting and Communications Committee.

Complaints against Daum accounted for 57 percent of all 18,940 complaints filed against the seven largest portal sites -- Naver, Daum, Nate, Cyworld, Yahoo Korea, Paran, and Empas.

Daum received most complaints about defamation and slander. Daum was subject to 7,890 such complaints, accounting for upwards of 72 percent of the total. Naver received 1,297 such complaints and Yahoo Korea and Nate 136 and 125.

But Naver ranked first in complaints about violence, cruelty, hatred and violation of public order with 1,005. It was followed by Daum (775), Nate (153), Yahoo Korea (37), Cyworld (30), Paran (14), and Empas (11).

Online postings about suicide increased drastically from 83 last year to 2,531 between January and July this year in the wake of the recession and a spate of celebrity suicides.

"Circulation of harmful information through portal sites has reached very serious proportions," Song said. "To establish a wholesome Internet culture, the KCSC needs to take proactive measures by asking the portal sites to offer remedies and helping them step up self-monitoring."

Source: The Chosun Ilbo