Did the CIA Apologize After IU Reported?…Netizens' Claims Revealed

Revealed as Simple Broadcast Omission Notice Email
Some Netizens Send Report Emails to CIA
Famous Person Who Prepaid Yoon Impeachment Protest Targeted

As some conservative-leaning netizens flood the CIA with reports of famous figures who supported participants in rallies calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, one netizen claimed to have received an 'apology letter' from the CIA. However, the email written in English was merely about a mail delivery failure.

On the 24th, X user A posted a screenshot of the email on their account, claiming, "The CIA apology letter has appeared." It is presumed that A had previously reported singer and actress IU on the CIA website.

Singer and actress IU. Instagram capture

A said, "It went to the CIA. This is official. The CIA is surprised by the massive number of reports coming from Korea," adding, "The firepower of internet superpower patriots is tremendous. On average, 20,000 to 30,000 reports were made, likely blocking ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) issuance."

However, the English email content posted by A was not an apology but a notice of rejection policy. It stated that A's computer sent multiple report emails simultaneously, causing some emails to be lost. It appears A misinterpreted the English.

The email explained, "This policy is in place to reduce excessive reporting," and "You submitted multiple reports too quickly. If the second email was to add or clarify information to the first report, we apologize for this action."

Previously, some conservative-leaning online communities showed support for the impeachment protests or moved to report famous figures who allegedly sent so-called 'prepaid' support to the protesters to the CIA. The CIA operates an external website accessible to foreigners.

Email sent by the CIA to netizens. Screenshot from X

Conservative netizens seem to believe that repeatedly submitting report emails on this site could lead U.S. intelligence authorities to tighten immigration screening or block visa-free entry.

However, visa and stay-related matters in the U.S. fall under the Department of State, not intelligence agencies like the CIA. The Department of State comprehensively assesses security, illegal entry, and welfare dependency to decide visa issuance, and political orientation is reportedly not part of the screening criteria.

Some celebrities provided food and other items to protesters calling for President Yoon's impeachment, sparking backlash among conservative netizens. Photo by Yonhap News

Meanwhile, IU's side announced on the official fan cafe on the 13th, "We prepared food and hot packs hoping to warm the hands of UAENA (fan club) members holding IU sticks at the rally in the cold weather, lighting up the surroundings," also urging, "Please take care of your health and safety."

The food IU prepared for the protesters included 2,000 pieces of bread, 200 drinks, 100 rice cakes, and 200 bowls of gukbap (soup with rice). IU prepaid at nearby bakeries, rice cake shops, and gukbap restaurants in Yeouido where the protesters gathered, then shared the store names and addresses with fans to deliver the food.

Some conservative netizens strongly opposed this. Calls emerged to boycott products from companies for which IU is an advertising model, and controversy arose as some encouraged reporting IU on the CIA website to make her entry into the U.S. difficult.