President Lee to 'Unanswered Questions' Over Organized Crime Allegations: "I Want to Hear a Sincere Apology"

President Lee Demands Public Apology in Social Media Message

"People Power Party and Manipulative Broadcasts Like 'Unanswered Questions' Must Reflect and Apologize"

On March 20, President Lee Jaemyung publicly demanded an apology from the SBS current affairs program "Unanswered Questions," which previously aired a segment regarding allegations of his ties to organized crime. He stated, "This broadcast appears to be part of a campaign to remove me, including physical terror, the manipulation of judicial risks through the prosecution, and image-damaging operations by the media."

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On X (formerly Twitter) that day, President Lee wrote, "Thanks to the miraculous logic of the 'Unanswered Questions' producer and the realistic acting of Mr. Kim Sangjoong, I ended up being branded a murderous gangster overnight." He continued, "I am curious whether 'Unanswered Questions,' which created the Lee Jaemyung gang affiliation theory, will actually issue a follow-up report, and if so, what content it will include." This marked a step further than his previous criticism on March 14, when he stated, "The media that indiscriminately spread the baseless 'Lee Jaemyung gangster ties' allegations without verification have not only failed to apologize, but have also not issued any follow-up reports," as he specifically mentioned the program by name this time.

President Lee further remarked, "The first piece produced after transferring to 'Unanswered Questions' was this broadcast, and the producer in charge reportedly left 'Unanswered Questions' shortly afterward. I wonder whether the producer still thinks of me as being associated with gangsters. After this broadcast, they said they were preparing a follow-up, mobilizing large reporting teams and soliciting tips from the public for months, thoroughly combing the streets of Seongnam. Did they find even a single clue resembling evidence? If there had been even a shred of substance, would they not have produced a follow-up report?"

President Lee went on to say, "To prevent the recurrence of people being buried in graves of falsehood for political purposes, there must be reflection and an apology from both the People Power Party, which made the fabricated exposé, and from manipulative broadcasts like 'Unanswered Questions.'" He added, "Perhaps it is too much to ask, but I would like to hear at least a sincere word of apology."

The Blue House had already begun an official response on March 19. Lee Guyoun, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication, stated at a briefing, "Since it has been revealed that both the gangster allegations and the 2 billion won bribery allegations are false, we will exercise our right to request follow-up reporting as guaranteed by the Act on Press Arbitration and Remedies, etc." He announced that related media outlets would be requested to publish follow-up reports. The Blue House believes that, although the Supreme Court has legally confirmed that the allegations at the time were baseless, a significant number of reports remain online, fueling public misunderstanding.

Article 17 of the Act on Press Arbitration and Remedies, etc. stipulates that a person who has been reported as being under criminal suspicion or subject to criminal action may request a follow-up report if there is a need to inform the public of the subsequent outcome of the criminal proceedings. Unlike corrections that simply amend existing article content, a follow-up report is more focused on providing the results verified through subsequent procedures.

Meanwhile, President Lee also criticized claims raised via Mr. Jeon Hangil's YouTube channel regarding allegations of secret funds and military information leaks, describing them as "truly pathetic and vicious slander" and stating that these are matters that "must be sternly punished."

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