[DigitalToday reporter Lee Ho-jung (이호정)] Naver said on March 19 it will stop providing comments beneath articles in its politics and election sections until June 3, the election end date, ahead of the ninth nationwide simultaneous local elections.

During the period, the all-comments collection area will only offer latest-first sorting. As before, only accounts that have completed identity verification can write up to 3 comments per article.

Naver also plans to roll out in April an automated system that closes comments on articles where a high share of comments are blocked by its artificial intelligence-based malicious comment detection system, Cleanbot.

It is reviewing introducing the approach to all news sections other than politics and elections, by closing comments on articles where the share of comments blocked by Cleanbot exceeds a certain standard. Cleanbot is currently strengthening its training on profanity, sexually explicit and violent expressions, and expressions of hate, disparagement and discrimination.

Kim Soo-hyang (김수향), a Naver leader, said, "We will continue technical and institutional efforts so the comment area can be activated as a healthy space for communication," and added, "We will provide a trustworthy news-use environment and advance the service."