Lee Jae-myung, take aim at fake news, “We must eradicate it at all costs.”

“Is KakaoTalk a sanctuary for fake news?”
“Fake news causes great harm,” referring to the May 18 Democratization Movement.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that he would mobilize all of his party’s capabilities to root out fake news and hold those who spread it accountable.

Representative Lee said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 13th, “A democratic republic stands properly when the sovereign makes accurate judgments with accurate information,” and “If it is distorted with false and fake information, the sovereign’s judgment is clouded and the democratic republic is in danger.” “It’s falling apart,” he said. He continued, “Accurate information is needed for democracy to stand upright. That’s why we protect the press,” and pointed out, “Evil people who use this gap to spread all kinds of fake news and obscure the truth are standing in front of the world like good people.”

He also mentioned the ‘KakaoTalk censorship controversy’ over which the ruling and opposition parties have been fighting recently. Representative Lee asked, “Is KakaoTalk a sanctuary for fake news?” and “At this very moment, people are talking about how many people their father, who passed away decades ago, killed while working in the Communist Party, or how he ran away after taking money from cigarettes, etc.” in the KakaoTalk group room. “Are you neglecting it?” he criticized.

Representative Lee also introduced his experiences related to the May 18 Democratization Movement. Representative Lee said, “Although I did not directly participate in the harm done by the May 18th Democratization Movement, I participated in secondary harm for several years. I criticized the wronged person who died in the May 18th Democratization Movement as a rioter.” The reason is simple. “I was fooled by fake news,” he said. He said, “The victims of the May 18th Democratization Movement were accused of being rioters linked to the North Korean military at the time. It was not until I went to college that I learned the truth. I realized the truth and changed the course of my life, but I realized how much harm fake news causes to the victims. “I could tell,” he emphasized.

Representative Lee said, “People who are deceived by fake news and make wrong decisions are also victims,” and added, “Fake news is the enemy of democracy. It must be eradicated at all costs.” He also said, “The Democratic Party will mobilize all its capabilities to strictly hold accountable those who rely on fake news to disrupt the order of this country, and we will definitely expel them from this society.”

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