DP to take legal action against falsehoods about ex-prime minister

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) plans to take legal action over false information and what it described as “fake news” spreading online during the funeral period for the late former Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan.

DP Rep. Lee Hae-sik, vice chair of the funeral committee, told reporters at the funeral hall on Thursday that “a lot of malicious fake news related to former Prime Minister Lee’s funeral is spreading on YouTube and online,” adding that the committee agreed it should respond forcefully.

Lee said the spread of misinformation through YouTube videos and comment sections amounts to “insults and ridicule” directed at the deceased and the family, and vowed to respond “firmly.” Lee added that the party’s legal affairs committee will review the matter and file complaints, urging creators of “malicious” broadcasts and commenters to stop such behavior.

The party’s concerns center on claims circulating through certain political YouTube channels and online comments.  

Some hard-line conservative YouTubers, including Lee Bong-gyu TV, have used phrases such as “the No. 1 keeper of secrets on election fraud,” and made assertions linking Lee’s death during a trip to Vietnam to election fraud, or portraying Lee as “pro-North Korean,” according to the DP.

Meanwhile, conservative People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Na Kyung-won visited the funeral hall at Seoul National University Hospital on Thursday morning to pay her respects.

After offering her condolences, Na told reporters that Lee “passed away too soon,” adding that she had served on the same parliamentary committee as Lee in the past and had come to view Lee as “someone who was, in a way, most faithful to the Democratic Party’s values.”

Lee Hae-sik said PPP Rep. Choi Hyung-du had attempted to visit on Wednesday but turned back because of the crowd, adding that the funeral committee plans to make arrangements so PPP lawmakers can pay respects without having to wait in line.

Foreign envoys in Seoul also visited the funeral hall, including U.S. Chargé d’Affaires ad interim James Heller and Australian Ambassador Jeff Robinson.

Others who paid their respects included Venerable Yonggu, head of the audit board of the Cheontae Order, Fair Trade Commission Chair Joo Byung-ki and former Ulsan mayor Song Cheol-ho, among others.

The funeral is scheduled to run through Saturday, with a funeral procession, a roadside memorial service and a funeral ceremony to be held before Lee is laid to rest at Eunhasu Park in Sejong City.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY YU SUNG-KUK [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]