Selling on the street? ... 'Martial Law Commendation' Forged with Yoon's Signature and Seal

Fake Award Certificate Photo Uploaded on Online Community
Title Reads '12.3 Seoul Special Martial Law Action Award'

There have been claims that fake certificates of commendation forged with the president's signature are being sold on nearby streets where rallies of far-right supporters are held.

On the 5th, an online community post titled "I received an award from the president. Someone was selling this on the street, what is this?" included a photo of a forged presidential certificate of commendation. The certificate, titled '12.3 Seoul Special Martial Law Action Award,' featured a phoenix and mugunghwa (rose of Sharon) design combining elements of the presidential and government commendations.

The content of the certificate reads, "The above person has excellently fulfilled the duties and heavy responsibilities of a soldier defending the nation and its people to protect liberal democracy from the threat of anti-state forces secretly operating within the Republic of Korea and to safeguard the safety of the people. Therefore, the 12.3 Seoul Special Martial Law Action Award is hereby conferred."

Fake martial law commendation certificates sold on the street. Screenshot from an online community

The issuance date on the certificate is December 12 of last year. Below the date, there was a forged signature of President 'Yoon Seok-yeol' and a fake presidential seal labeled 'Daetongryeonin' (President's Seal). Additionally, the phrase "This certificate is recorded in the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Award Office" was appended at the bottom.

Netizens who came across this mostly responded with disbelief. They said things like, "How many years is the sentence for forging the presidential seal?", "Both the person who gave and the person who received the certificate should be sent to prison," "Catch and punish the culprit without fail," "If they forged official documents for personal gain, they must be severely punished," and "Isn't this the real anti-state force?" expressing strong calls for punishment of both the sellers and buyers of the fake certificates.

According to Article 225 of the Criminal Act (Forgery of Official Documents), forgery of official documents is punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years. If the forged documents are actually used, the crime of using forged official documents (Article 229 of the Criminal Act) is additionally applied.

There was also criticism regarding the buying and selling of such useless items. Netizens reacted with comments like, "They are selling this? And they want money for it, not even giving it away?", "Even if it were genuine, it's useless trash; it's a waste of paper and a pity for the trees," and "No one would believe this is real after receiving it, right?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.