China's state-run media gave a positive assessment after President Lee Jae-myung criticized reports about Chinese nationals buying apartments in Seoul's Gangnam as "fake news." It said Lee is responding toughly to anti-China discourse in Korea and that relations between Korea and China could improve.
The state-run Global Times in China reported on the 23rd that Lee publicly pointed out issues of disinformation and anti-China agitation, and that Chinese experts view this positively. Zhan Debin, director of the Center for Korean Peninsula Studies at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, told the outlet, "Compared with previous administrations, Lee is expressing his position on anti-China discourse in Korea more strongly and more frequently."
Zhan said, "During the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, anti-China sentiment in Korean society rose to an unprecedented level and seriously damaged the development of Korea-China relations," adding, "Claims such as 'China's interference in Korean elections' are absurd stories with no basis whatsoever." He continued, "Anti-China words and actions help no one," and said, "It will help create a healthy public-opinion environment and advance Korea-China relations if scholars and journalists can speak more freely."
Earlier, on the 21st, Lee mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) an article titled "Chinese nationals' surprise purchase of 944 Gangnam apartments in Seoul… sweeping up listings dumped by multiple-homeowners," and said, "It appears to be fake news intentionally crafted so it can be used as material to incite 'anti-China' sentiment." He added, "Upon checking, the number of Chinese buyers of collective buildings in Gangnam District from January to April was only five, making it an obviously false article," and wrote, "It calls itself the press—an economic outlet at that—but what good does stoking anti-China sentiment do for the country and the people?"
Chinese Ambassador to Korea Dai Bing said on X on the 22nd, the following day, "We highly appreciate President Lee Jae-myung's criticism of some Korean media's fabrication of fake news and incitement of anti-China sentiment." Ambassador Dai said, "We hope figures from all walks of life in Korea will voluntarily reject fake news, discrimination and inflammatory opinion-mongering to enhance the friendly feelings between the peoples of the two countries."