The U.S. Forces Korea noted that an article reported by a certain media outlet, stating '99 Chinese detained at the Election Training Center were transported to a U.S. military base in Japan,' is 'entirely false.'
The United States Forces Korea Command stated on the 20th via X (formerly Twitter) that 'the descriptions and claims regarding U.S. Forces Korea reported by the Korean media are entirely false,' and urged for responsible reporting and thorough fact-checking to prevent the spread of misinformation that could undermine public trust.
The article designated as false by U.S. Forces Korea is one reported by a certain media outlet on the 16th about 99 Chinese being transported to a U.S. military base in Japan. This outlet quoted U.S. military sources, claiming that South Korean and U.S. military authorities captured 99 Chinese spies at the Election Management Training Center in Suwon and transported them to the U.S. military base in Japan, and that they confessed to all allegations of election interference during the interrogation process.
It is reported that not only U.S. Forces Korea but also U.S. Forces Japan have stated that the contents reported in this article are not true. U.S. Forces Korea emphasized in an official statement that 'U.S. Forces Korea remains dedicated to its mission of maintaining stability and security on the Korean Peninsula in accordance with the Republic of Korea-U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty.'
The Central Election Management Committee also filed a complaint against the media outlet and the reporter that published the article with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on this day and requested a correction from the Media Arbitration Commission. The committee stated in a press release, 'On Dec. 3, the day of the martial law, there were 50 5th-grade promotion candidates and 69 6th-grade personnel undergoing training at the Election Training Center, and among them, 96 people, including 88 civil servants and 8 external instructors, were staying overnight.' It added, 'As a result of this article, personnel of the committee have been stigmatized as Chinese spies and have instilled a perception among the public that the committee is complicit in election fraud.'
The Central Election Management Committee stated, 'The accused party intensified suspicions of election fraud by reporting or disseminating falsehoods without effort to verify the facts, thereby inciting social division,' and noted, 'The Central Election Management Committee deems such actions by the accused party deserving of severe punishment and has reported the concerned media outlet and journalist to investigative authorities and filed for a correction with the Media Arbitration Commission.'