Accused Ahn Min-seok: "It is true that the opposition rejoiced over Kim Hye-kyung fake news... Did Yoon give the order?"

"Yoon Seok-yeol, Reveal Whether You Directly Ordered This Pathetic Accusation"

Ahn Min-seok, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Ahn Min-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who was accused by the People Power Party, has expressed his position. Previously, Ahn stated that after the fall accident of Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung, the People Power Party’s presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol’s campaign team cheered "manse" (long live).

Ahn, who is the head of the general special advisory group for candidate Lee, posted on his Facebook on the 29th a post titled "Position on the People Power Party’s accusation," saying, "I urge Yoon Seok-yeol to clarify whether he directly ordered this pathetic accusation, and I will briefly state my position."

Ahn said, "The People Power Party has accused me. I mentioned in a broadcast that the Yoon Seok-yeol campaign team cheered 'manse' regarding the fake news about Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung’s fall accident, and they accused me of spreading false information," adding, "Is the country Yoon Seok-yeol wants ultimately a prosecutor’s republic? Isn’t it true that they gleefully celebrated because the fake news about Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung worked to their advantage? Above all, is this even a valid reason for accusation?"

Ahn continued, "The claim that the Yoon Seok-yeol campaign team cheered and rejoiced is based on a tip-off and is not false information," and said, "I urged an investigation into the reasonable suspicion that the Yoon campaign is connected to the organized dissemination of fake news about Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung, but this accusation seems to be an attempt to cover it up."

He also added, "It appears to be a threatening accusation aimed at silencing the Democratic Party’s allegations against candidate Yoon Seok-yeol, such as the false academic background suspicions about Kim Geon-hee."

Earlier, the People Power Party’s Media Legal Team filed a complaint against Ahn on the 28th for violating the Public Official Election Act. The Media Legal Team stated, "On the 15th, Ahn claimed on a radio program that the Yoon campaign might be involved in the fall accident of candidate Lee’s spouse Kim Hye-kyung, saying, 'I heard that the Yoon Seok-yeol campaign team cheered 'manse,'" adding, "This is a clearly malicious false statement and a blatant fake news," explaining the reason for the accusation.