The Presidential Office stated that the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC) is expected to investigate claims of a "prosecution withdrawal deal" raised on a YouTube channel hosted by broadcaster Kim Eo-jun.
Hong Ik-pyo, Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs, appeared on KBS's "Sasageongeon" program on the 13th and said, "To my knowledge, 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory' is registered as a media outlet," adding, "I believe appropriate investigations will be conducted by the KCSC."
When asked about direct action from the Presidential Office, Hong drew a clear line, stating, "The Presidential Office has no intention of planning measures or responses targeting any specific media outlet. We believe this is something each respective agency should handle on its own."
Regarding the atmosphere within the Presidential Office, Hong said, "We are so dumbfounded that we don't know how to respond. The overall sentiment is one of disbelief, with people thinking, 'We're busy, and we don't have time to respond to every baseless claim.'"
He continued, "It doesn't seem worth responding to," but added strong criticism: "Nevertheless, we view this seriously because it could undermine public trust in the government and its policies. We consider this highly inappropriate fake news."
