'Active Duty Soldier Participation' Allegation Denied by Yoon Camp: "Not a Single Person Involved"

"Seolhun, Creating and Distributing Fake News"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, a presidential candidate of the People Power Party, who visited Busan for the second time after announcing his presidential bid, is giving a greeting at the Busan Sasang District Party Committee office on the 4th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The campaign of former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol has denied allegations of violating the Military Criminal Act, stating, "The ruling party is making baseless claims over an interview conducted to create defense pledges."

Kim Ki-heung, chief deputy spokesperson of Yoon's campaign, said in a statement on the 5th, "We disclosed the list of interviewees involved in the design process to explain how the defense pledges were created. However, Rep. Seol Hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea fabricated and spread fake news claiming that '400 active-duty officers are participating in Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign.' There is not a single active-duty soldier in Yoon Seok-yeol's campaign," he clarified.

Kim added, "During the pledge creation process, we listened to the opinions of military personnel, and the respondents expressed their personal views on policies anonymously, only revealing their affiliated units."

Regarding Rep. Seol's claim about internal regulations prohibiting political activities of policy committee members of the Defense Science Research Institute and researchers of the Korea Defense Research Institute, Kim stated that no such clause exists. "It is a separate matter for retired generals to carry out research projects based on their military expertise and for them to express political positions in a personal capacity," he explained.

Kim also demanded, "Former Military Manpower Administration Commissioner Mo Jong-hwa was appointed last month as the head of the Military Service System Innovation Special Advisory Group for Lee Jae-myung's campaign. He is still active as a visiting researcher at the Korea Defense Research Institute, so Rep. Seol should verify this," he urged.