People Power Party: "Yoon's Campaign Headquarters Colluding in Comment Manipulation?… Urge the Ruling Party to Stop Producing Fake News"

"'Deuruking' The Double Standards of the Democratic Party"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] The People Power Party (PPP) has rebutted the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which filed a complaint against the PPP’s election campaign headquarters and the Men's Solidarity for alleged "collusion in comment manipulation," calling it "fake news."

Lee Yang-su, chief spokesperson for the PPP election campaign headquarters, stated in a commentary on the 11th, "The Democratic Party claims that the accused established an organization similar to the campaign headquarters to systematically support Yoon Seok-yeol, the PPP’s presidential candidate, but this is a clear falsehood."

The day before, the Democratic Party announced that it had filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office against the PPP campaign headquarters and the men's group 'Shin Namseong Danche' for violating the prohibition on establishing illegal election campaign organizations and for obstructing operations of portal site computers. In the complaint, the Democratic Party alleged, "The accused established Shin Namseong Yeondae to systematically support candidate Yoon’s election and operated a so-called comment squad team called the 'Media Purification Team,' thereby creating an organization similar to the campaign headquarters."

Spokesperson Lee criticized the Democratic Party for baselessly asserting the possibility of collusion between the PPP campaign headquarters and the said group. He said, "The Democratic Party only makes unilateral claims that participants likely colluded by referring to a group message room including PPP campaign officials, but fails to provide clear data or explanations on what exactly is problematic and why," adding, "Isn't it the Democratic Party that has been marking coordinates on news articles, posting many comments by organized individuals, and misleading public opinion with falsehoods?"

He continued, "Nevertheless, the Democratic Party is defaming the PPP and external organizations without any evidence, as well as slandering and intimidating legitimate online activities," and said, "Isn't it hypocrisy and double standards for the Democratic Party, which previously committed illegal comment manipulation using a 'program' known as 'Druking,' to make such claims?"

Spokesperson Lee warned, "We hope the Democratic Party immediately cease producing fake news by slandering PPP officials with false information," and announced legal action.