'Same as a serious crime that must be severely punished'

President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung on Monday vowed a strong response against those who produce and spread fake news, saying those who deliberately spread false information to cause social disorder and economic harm "must be tracked down and severely punished."

That morning, Lee shared a post on X, formerly Twitter, reporting that police had identified 10 suspects in connection with the spread of false claims that the government would force-sell dollars, and added his own remarks.

"Spreading false information that harms the public is not freedom of expression, nor is it something to be tolerated," Lee said.

He went on to say, "A prank? Just for fun? Killing people and destroying the order and values of a community — even if done as a prank or for fun — is the same as a serious crime that must be severely punished."

Lee added that he wanted to "send the hardworking police investigation team at least a pizza."


sang@heraldcorp.com