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S. Korea President Vows Stern Action Over Dollar-Sale Misinformation
(MENAFN) South Korean President Lee Jae-myung on Tuesday demanded swift and severe consequences for those found deliberately seeding online falsehoods alleging that the government planned to compel citizens to offload their US dollar holdings.
Writing on American social media platform X, Lee responded to police reports confirming that 10 suspects had been identified in connection with the disinformation campaign — fabricated claims that authorities were preparing a sweeping emergency directive forcing citizens to sell their dollars, stoked by economic unease over escalating Middle East tensions.
"The act of intentionally spreading false information and causing social confusion and economic damage should be identified and punished sternly," Lee wrote.
Drawing on local media reports, Lee revealed that investigators had tracked down 14 online accounts before narrowing the list to 10 identifiable individuals behind the posts. One among them — allegedly an active-duty soldier — was transferred to military police. The remainder were ordinary civilians, including office workers and the self-employed. Authorities stressed that not a single suspect held a government post or worked in the financial industry.
The uproar traces back to a wave of online forums and blog posts falsely asserting that Seoul was poised to enforce mandatory dollar sales through an "emergency financial and economic order," framed as a response to economic turbulence caused by the prolonged Middle East conflict.
Lee was unequivocal in rejecting misinformation as a protected right.
"Spreading false information that harms the public is neither freedom of expression nor a matter for tolerance," Lee said.
He dismissed outright any attempt to frame the offenses as harmless mischief.
"A joke? A prank? Killing people and destroying the order and values of the community is a serious crime that must be severely punished, even if done as a joke or for fun," he added.
Lee wrapped up his remarks with a rare moment of levity, offering a nod of appreciation to the officers pursuing the case, saying: "I should send some pizza to the hard-working police investigation team."
Writing on American social media platform X, Lee responded to police reports confirming that 10 suspects had been identified in connection with the disinformation campaign — fabricated claims that authorities were preparing a sweeping emergency directive forcing citizens to sell their dollars, stoked by economic unease over escalating Middle East tensions.
"The act of intentionally spreading false information and causing social confusion and economic damage should be identified and punished sternly," Lee wrote.
Drawing on local media reports, Lee revealed that investigators had tracked down 14 online accounts before narrowing the list to 10 identifiable individuals behind the posts. One among them — allegedly an active-duty soldier — was transferred to military police. The remainder were ordinary civilians, including office workers and the self-employed. Authorities stressed that not a single suspect held a government post or worked in the financial industry.
The uproar traces back to a wave of online forums and blog posts falsely asserting that Seoul was poised to enforce mandatory dollar sales through an "emergency financial and economic order," framed as a response to economic turbulence caused by the prolonged Middle East conflict.
Lee was unequivocal in rejecting misinformation as a protected right.
"Spreading false information that harms the public is neither freedom of expression nor a matter for tolerance," Lee said.
He dismissed outright any attempt to frame the offenses as harmless mischief.
"A joke? A prank? Killing people and destroying the order and values of the community is a serious crime that must be severely punished, even if done as a joke or for fun," he added.
Lee wrapped up his remarks with a rare moment of levity, offering a nod of appreciation to the officers pursuing the case, saying: "I should send some pizza to the hard-working police investigation team."
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