Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, said on the 2nd, one day before the 6.3 presidential vote, that "since the freedom of the press is protected, special sanctions should be imposed against media that maliciously create fake news or manipulate and distort actual cases."
That afternoon, the candidate held a press conference in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and in response to a question about how to protect the freedom of the press if elected, he noted, "Some media raises doubts about whether they are 'media' at all."
He went on to say, "In a democratic system, the dissemination of information through the media plays a very useful role in helping our sovereign citizens make judgments and creating a society where reasonable discussions through fair and accurate reporting are possible. Because of this, special protections are provided, but there are quite a few cases where some abuse this special position to spread fake news or take a politically biased stance and enter the political frontlines entirely."
The candidate expressed, "Conversely, whether the media is large or small, if they fulfill their role properly, I think they definitely need support," adding, "While I may not know about institutional or financial aspects, within reasonable limits, it is necessary to foster a media ecosystem in a more balanced manner."
Earlier, the Democratic Party's election countermeasure committee announced it would file a complaint against media outlets that did not modify their reports on Lee Jun-seok, Reform Party's presidential candidate, regarding his 'sexual violence comments' made on the 30th of last month. The candidate raised issues during a TV debate concerning lewd comments presumed to have been made by Lee Jae-myung's eldest son in the past, asserting that false information was disclosed and some media quoted it directly, thus damaging the reputation of the candidate Lee Jae-myung.
Park Kyung-mi, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, said, "The misogynistic remarks spread by candidate Lee Jun-seok are rapidly infecting our society," adding, "Hateful expressions like filth are spreading through unfiltered reporting and are being amplified and reproduced through politicians' mouths, causing citizens to suffer secondary and tertiary victimization." She also noted, "They attempted to distort public sentiment hoping for the eradication of insurrection forces in the presidential election."
Spokesperson Park emphasized, "If hateful expressions are not eliminated, there is no guarantee that such incidents will not happen again," noting, "The Democratic Party will resolutely hold candidate Lee Jun-seok and all acts that amplify and reproduce such expressions accountable."