President Lee Jae-myung on the 7th criticized a news release from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry that claimed an abrupt surge in the flight of Korea's wealthy, calling it "deliberate fake news."
On this day, Lee attached a newspaper column to a post on social media (SNS) X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "I can't believe that the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an official body established by law, is publicly doing this," adding his criticism.
The column argued that the credibility of the news release "A study on inheritance tax revenue outlook analysis and diversification of payment methods," released by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the 3rd, was weak. The study said that 2,400 high-net-worth asset holders left Korea last year, doubling from the previous year and ranking fourth in the world, but the column's point was that it was hard to trust because the survey was conducted by a foreign immigration consulting firm and the methodology was flimsy.
Lee said, "Acts of producing and spreading fake news to pursue private interests and attack government policy deserve condemnation," and added, "Deliberate fake news intended to cloud the judgment of the sovereign people is an enemy of democracy." He continued, "We will hold those responsible to account strictly and put in place safeguards to prevent a recurrence."