The production team of SBS "Unanswered Questions" issued an official apology for the first time in eight years over allegations that President Lee Jae-myung was linked to a Seongnam crime syndicate.
On the 20th, the "Unanswered Questions" production said in a statement regarding the episode aired on July 21, 2018, "Power and gangsters — one year after the Pattaya murder case," that "we apologize for raising suspicions without solid grounds."
"Unanswered Questions" raised allegations of collusion between politicians in Seongnam and criminal organizations, saying that then-Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung was listed among the defense attorneys for two members of the Seongnam International Mafia in 2007.
On this, the production team explained the judicial findings so far, saying, "After the broadcast, Bundang Police Station in Gyeonggi launched an investigation and, in November 2018, referred the case to the prosecution with a non-indictment opinion regarding the allegations," and "the Seongnam Branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office likewise issued a non-indictment in December of the same year."
It added, "The Supreme Court, on the 12th, finalized a sentence of one year in prison, suspended for two years, for attorney Jang Young-ha, who, ahead of the 2021 presidential election, claimed that the candidate received money from the Seongnam International Mafia, for the crime of publishing false information under the Public Official Election Act."
The production team said, "The allegation of collusion between then-Gyeonggi Province Gov. Lee Jae-myung and the Seongnam International Mafia has been confirmed to be legally untrue," and added, "Going forward, 'Unanswered Questions' will strictly comply with the 'SBS Journalism Code,' which SBS established and has enforced since 2024, to produce accurate and objective broadcasts."
The president posted on X (formerly Twitter) the same day, saying, "I wonder whether 'Unanswered Questions,' which created the 'Lee Jae-myung gangster collusion' allegation, will meekly run a follow-up report and, if so, what it will say," adding, "It may be too much to ask, but I would like to hear a sincere 'I'm sorry.'"