[Exclusive] "Great Leader Moon Jae-in" Go Min-jung's Unrestricted Distribution of 'Rodong Sinmun' Composite

Candidate Go Minjung's Face Photoshopped in North Korea's 'Rodong Sinmun'
Filled with Praises for Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il
Claims Go Was Leader of Pro-Juche Student Club in University Days
Former Blue House Secretary Im Jong-seon Referred to as Comrade Im Jong-seok
Go's Campaign Calls It "Baseless Fake News, Not Worth Commenting"

An image of Go Min-jeong, the Democratic Party candidate running for Seoul Gwangjin-eul in the 21st general election, photoshopped into North Korea's party organ newspaper, Rodong Sinmun. Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] Ko Min-jung, the Democratic Party candidate running for Seoul Gwangjin-eul in the 21st general election, is being accused on social network service (SNS) group chats and other platforms of having been active in a North Korean Juche ideology-oriented activist club during her university days. Ko Min-jung's campaign team has emphasized that these claims are "fake news" and are not true.

On the 9th, a photo with Ko's face photoshopped appeared on an online community, resembling the North Korean Workers' Party Central Committee's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun. The Rodong Sinmun image includes the phrase, "The revolutionary achievements of the great leader Comrade Moon Jae-in will shine forever along with the victorious advance of socialist South Korea," alongside Ko Min-jung's face. The photo is in black and white and shows Ko holding a microphone and speaking at an election rally.

To the left of the Rodong Sinmun text is the phrase, "Long live the great leader Comrade Moon Jae-in and the great leaders Comrade Shin Young-bok, Kim Il-sung, and Kim Jong-il!" On the right side, it reads, "Following the South Korean revolutionary line! National Liberation (NL) People's Democratic Revolution."

On the morning of the 2nd, the official start day of the April 15 general election campaign, Go Mi-jeong, the Democratic Party candidate for Gwangjin-eul (left), joined hands with Im Jong-seok, former Chief of Staff to the President, who came to support the campaign at Jayang Intersection in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, appealing for "one vote."
[Image source=Yonhap News]

To the left of Ko's face is a blue Korean Peninsula, symbolizing the hope for reunification. In April 2018, ahead of the first inter-Korean summit in 11 years, President Moon Jae-in expressed expectations and hopes for a peaceful Korean Peninsula by wearing a "blue tie."

Below Ko Min-jung's face, the text reads, "Ko Min-jung of Gwangjin-eul, confidently supported by Juche ideology believer Lim Jong-seok!" along with "For the national liberation of Gwangjin-eul."

It continues, "Ko Min-jung was active in the activist club 'Small Pond,' a Minjung song group with a pro-Juche (NL) orientation during her time at Kyung Hee University Suwon Campus, where she even served as president. Ko Min-jung says she still wants to be someone like a Minjung song singer. She is truly a talent that Comrade Lim Jong-seok cannot help but support!"

This image is known to have been circulated through SNS platforms such as KakaoTalk group chats.

Ko Min-jung's campaign team dismissed the claims, stating, "These contents are completely untrue and so absurd that they are not even worth commenting on."