As the high oil price situation continues due to energy supply disruptions caused by the Middle East situation, President Lee Jae-myung on the 31st ordered police to conduct a strict investigation into claims circulating online of "900,000 Barrels of domestic crude oil headed to North Korea" and "price hikes for pay-as-you-throw garbage bags," calling them "serious criminal acts that disrupt social order and hinder the nation's efforts to overcome a crisis."
That morning at the Blue House, Lee presided over a Cabinet meeting and said, "Some people are saying garbage bags are in short supply and prices will go up, so buy them in advance, but garbage bags are not a commercial product," adding, "They are a kind of tax to cover administrative processing costs and are set by local government ordinance, so there is no way prices would be raised at will, nor can they be raised."
He also said, "Even if production costs rise, it does not affect the final retail price," adding, "Spreading the rumor that prices will go up anyway is malicious." He continued, "Police should identify whoever first spread the rumor and take strict and swift action."
Lee also addressed recent claims on some YouTube channels, websites and social media that "900,000 Barrels of oil stored at the Ulsan stockpile base flowed into North Korea," saying, "Because the priority right for crude oil was mishandled, Vietnam bought it, but a very malicious rumor is being spread that it went to North Korea," and added, "Police should investigate swiftly to find out who on earth is doing this and make sure this never happens again."