Obama Clarifies "Aliens Exist" Remark Within a Day: "I Have Seen No Evidence"

After Uproar, Says He Was Only Talking About "Statistical Possibility"

Former U.S. President Barack Obama made remarks acknowledging the existence of aliens during a podcast interview, but issued a clarification within 24 hours.

On February 16, Yonhap News, citing foreign media such as the UK daily The Guardian, reported that in a podcast interview released the previous day, former President Obama responded to a question about the existence of extraterrestrial life by saying, "They exist."

However, he drew a line, saying, "I have never seen an alien myself." He added, "We haven't hidden aliens in Area 51, and there aren't any massive underground facilities. Of course, if there were a gigantic conspiracy that could even be kept from the President of the United States, I wouldn't know."

Area 51 is an Air Force facility located in the Nevada desert. It has been the subject of conspiracy theories claiming that the U.S. government secretly studies aliens and unidentified flying objects there.

Obama's comments sparked various speculations online. Some interpreted his remarks as possibly hinting at a government-level conspiracy or secret.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama. AP Yonhap News

As the controversy spread, former President Obama issued a clarification through his Instagram account 24 hours later.

He stated, "It was a response intended to match the mood, but since there has been so much interest, let me be clear," adding, "The universe is so vast that statistically, the likelihood of life existing somewhere is high."

However, Obama also said, "Given the immense distances, the possibility that aliens have visited Earth is small." He continued, "During my presidency, I never saw any evidence that extraterrestrial life contacted the United States. Truly."

These comments are interpreted as an attempt to clearly distinguish between the scientific estimation of the possibility of extraterrestrial life and conspiracy theories about secret government contact.

Meanwhile, during the podcast interview, when asked about a video titled "Monkey Obama" posted online by President Donald Trump, Obama replied, "There is a circus happening on social media and TV," and added, "In the past, people maintained at least a minimum of dignity, but now there is no sense of shame anymore."

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