Democratic Party's X-Man, Representative Kim's False Claim? Allegations and the Ministry of Justice's Rebuttal.

The controversy surrounding fake news continues to plague South Korean politics. Democratic Party Representative Kim Eui-kyeom has claimed that in relation to the arrest warrant issuance for Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon and a judge who is a fellow alumnus from Seoul National University Law School were selected as judges for the warrant, but the Ministry of Justice has rebutted this as "clearly false" and announced its intention to take legal action against Kim.

 

Addressing the response to fake news that has caused confusion and turmoil in South Korean politics is crucial, and efforts to seek truth and facts are needed.

 

Kim appeared on KBS Radio's 'Joo Jin-woo Live' and stated, "I interpret this as the prosecution selecting the warrant's lead judge (himself)," adding, "This could have been filed in Suwon or Seoul, but they chose to bring it from Suwon to Seoul." He further claimed, "Among the three judges specializing in arrest warrants in Seoul, they selected the one they considered most favorable to them," and mentioned, "The fact that the selected judge happens to be an alumnus from the same year at Seoul National University Law School is the reasoning some people see for the issuance."

 

In response, the Ministry of Justice unequivocally countered, "Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon and the judge mentioned by Representative Kim are not university peers and have no personal connections." The current chief judge responsible for deciding the leader's detention is Judge Yoo Chang-hoon from Seoul Central District Court, who took charge of the warrant on the day it was received. Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon is an alumnus from Seoul National University Law School, while Judge Yoo graduated a year later, according to the Ministry of Justice.

 

The Ministry of Justice has classified Kim's claims as "fake news" and considers his propagation of it on public broadcasting as such, stating their intent to take necessary measures.

 

Previously, Kim had also spread fake news in relation to the "Cheongdam-dong drinking party with the President and the Minister of Justice" allegations, leading to controversy. Despite this, Kim maintained on the broadcast that it was not fake news. Kim appeared on an entertainment program on the 20th of last month, stating, "There is definitely a whistleblower and there are recordings of the whistleblower," and defended himself by saying, "To call that false information, fake news, is to unfairly label me."

 

Kim has faced changes in his role as the party spokesperson due to various fake news incidents.

 

Addressing the response to fake news that has caused confusion and turmoil in South Korean politics is crucial, and efforts to seek truth and facts are needed. Controversy surrounding the selection of judges in relation to Lee Jae-myung's arrest warrant is further heating up the political atmosphere, and investigations and fact-checking should be pursued.