[Comprehensive] "Apologize to the People of the Republic of Korea" North Korea's Kim Jong-un Remains Strong... Taegumin and Ji Seong-ho 'Fake News' Controversy

Government and Blue House Repeatedly Claim 'No Unusual Activity' Despite Persistent 'Kim Jong-un Death Rumors'
Proven to Be 'Fake News'... Democratic Party Calls It 'False Propaganda to South Korean Citizens'

Taegumin, elected member of the Future United Party (left), and Jiseongho, elected member of the Future Korea Party (right). Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] As North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un demonstrated his well-being on the 2nd, Tae Kumin (Tae Young-ho) of the United Future Party and Ji Seong-ho of the Future Korea Party, both defectors who had raised suspicions about Kim’s health and death rumors, could not avoid criticism. The ruling party immediately called for an official apology, accusing the two lawmakers-elect of spreading false propaganda to the public.

Despite repeated explanations from the government and the Blue House that there were "no unusual developments," Tae Young-ho, a former charg? d'affaires at the North Korean Embassy in the UK and a member-elect of the United Future Party, and Ji Seong-ho, a defector and member-elect of the Future Korea Party, continued to claim that Kim Jong-un was in poor health.

On the 28th of last month, Tae emphasized in an interview with CNN that "one thing is clear: Kim Jong-un is in a state where he cannot stand or walk properly on his own." However, he failed to provide concrete evidence to support his claim.

Eventually, Ji Seong-ho asserted on the previous day (the 1st) that he was "99% certain of Kim Jong-un’s death." He mentioned the timing as "last weekend" and predicted that North Korea would make an official announcement this weekend.

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, who had been surrounded by rumors of death, resumed public activities after 20 days, demonstrating his vitality.
On the 2nd, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Chairman Kim attended the completion ceremony of the Suncheon Fertilizer Plant on May Day (May 1). [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, on the morning of the 2nd, North Korean media outlets such as Korean Central Broadcasting and Korean Central News Agency reported Kim Jong-un’s attendance at the inauguration ceremony of the Suncheon Fertilizer Factory the day before, revealing that the claims made by the two lawmakers-elect were false. In effect, their statements turned out to be "fake news."

The ruling party immediately demanded an official apology from the two lawmakers-elect for causing social confusion by raising suspicions such as the death rumors of Kim Jong-un.

Kang Hoon-sik, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party, criticized in a written briefing, "Despite the government’s official denial of the 'Kim Jong-un death rumors,' it was highly inappropriate to spread fake news by exploiting their defector status."

Spokesperson Kang demanded, "Sincerely apologize for repaying the people of South Korea, who warmly embraced you, with false information and false propaganda and agitation." He added, "If the two lawmakers-elect are to serve as members of the National Assembly, they must adopt a responsible attitude."

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Beom-gye wrote on his Facebook on the same day, "The two lawmakers-elect will soon become representatives of the people. They will have access to all national and public institution information. How far will this be allowed? How much can they be trusted?" He criticized, "What is the basis for the statements the two lawmakers-elect made about Kim Jong-un? If it was HUMINT information used by intelligence agencies, do they have the authority to access it and the qualification to speak? Or was it merely agitation based on simple speculation?"

Future United Party's Tae Young-ho, elected representative of Seoul Gangnam-gu Gap, is speaking at the elected members' meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of April 28. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Democratic Party member-elect Jeong Cheong-rae also targeted the two lawmakers-elect on his Facebook on the same day, saying, "They must issue a public apology." He emphasized, "I hope they sincerely apologize for inciting anxiety and confusion among the people."

He pointed out, "Can the charg? d'affaires of our country’s embassy in the UK know Blue House secrets? Can they grasp overseas intelligence of the National Intelligence Service? Defector Tae Young-ho is such a negligible figure. It is nearly impossible for Tae Young-ho, who defected years ago, to know North Korea’s highest secrets, which are even more tightly secured regarding Kim Jong-un."

He added, "The words he spews are just fragments of his confirmation bias. This has been proven to have no news value this time. The media should take the microphone away from him."

Regarding Ji Seong-ho, he said, "His 99% certainty was 100% wrong. Since his access to information is likely even worse than defector Tae Young-ho’s, it seems not even worth commenting on. What’s the point of talking?"

Kim Hong-gul, member-elect of the Together Citizens’ Party, also wrote on his Facebook, "I hope the media and politicians who spread 'fake news' as if they had personally visited North Korea and scolded the government saying, 'Why is there no countermeasure in this emergency?' realize that it is not only embarrassing for themselves but also a national disgrace, and refrain from doing so in the future."