Verbal Clash Over 'Fake News' at the National Assembly Science and ICT Committee Plenary Meeting
On the 4th, Lee Dong-gwan, chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, attended the National Assembly for the first time since his appointment and engaged in a heated exchange with Go Min-jeong, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, over the fake news controversy. During the exchange, Rep. Go referred to Chairman Lee as "Mr. Lee Dong-gwan," to which Chairman Lee retorted, "What do you mean by 'Mr. Lee Dong-gwan' to a State Council member?"
At the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Broadcasting and Communications Committee that day, Chairman Lee and Rep. Go debated during a Q&A session related to former Media Union Chairman Shin Hak-rim's 'Daejang-dong false interview allegations.'
Jang Je-won, a member of the committee from the People Power Party, mentioned Newstapa, which aired the interview just before the presidential election, saying, "We need to consider shutting down media outlets that deliberately plan, script, and act on such fake news." Chairman Lee responded, "That is exactly the final stage of the one-strike-out policy."
Chairman Lee cited examples of fake news such as "(the 2002 presidential election's) folding screen incident involving Lee Hoi-chang, BBK in the 2007 presidential election, and Daejang-dong fabrication," adding, "Attempts to overturn the presidential election through baseless black propaganda are not merely a media issue but a political culture that must be eradicated."
In response, Rep. Go said, "I could not recognize the chairman of the Communications Commission, so I neither listened to nor watched the answers and even left, but seeing you still respond is unacceptable." She raised her voice, saying, "Are you saying the BBK stock manipulation case is fake news? Former President Lee Myung-bak was sentenced to 15 years in prison in the first trial, and at that time, President Yoon Seok-youl was the Seoul Central District Prosecutor. The Supreme Court sentenced him to 17 years. Is this fake news?"
She continued, "Didn’t President Yoon say during the election that his mother-in-law never received a single won? The Communications Commission should investigate the media outlets that reported without fact-checking at that time," adding, "If fake news is a serious crime and a disruption of national order, then President Yoon, who lied so casually during the election, is the real serious criminal and disruptor of national order."
Rep. Go then questioned Cho Seong-eun, secretary-general of the Communications Commission, about the dismissal of Jeong Yeon-ju, chairman of the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC), asking, "What is the basis for the poor and biased review that led to the dismissal?"
Chairman Lee replied, "The president has the authority to dismiss the KCSC chairman if there is a significant problem in performing duties," and countered, "It is wrong to claim that all the ongoing processes are illegal and unlawful." He also pointed out Rep. Go's use of address, saying, "You are not asking the individual Lee Dong-gwan, are you? What do you mean by 'Mr. Lee Dong-gwan' to a State Council member?"
Rep. Go countered that under current law, the chairman of the Communications Commission is not a State Council member. She said, "According to the Government Organization Act, there is no provision that the chairman of the Communications Commission can obtain State Council member status," adding, "Isn't this an excessive show of arrogance?"
Park Sung-joong, a member of the committee from the People Power Party and the committee's secretary, criticized, "He has been appointed, so continuing to call him 'Mr. Lee Dong-gwan' is also disrespectful."
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