"The Presidential Watch Is Currently in the Planning and Production Stage"
The Presidential Office has warned the public to be cautious, stating that posts claiming that commemorative watches featuring President Lee Jaemyung are being sold are false.
On June 20, Kang Yujeong, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, said in a written briefing, "The presidential commemorative watch is currently in the planning and production stage," and added, "We would like to clarify that it is not a product for sale."
Kang further stated, "False information about the sale of the president's commemorative watch is spreading online," and added, "We urge the public to be wary of scams involving the sale of presidential watches."
Previously, there had been disappointment after rumors spread that the Lee Jaemyung administration had decided not to produce presidential watches. Jeon Hyunhee, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, shared an anecdote during her appearance on the YouTube channel 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' saying, "Several people asked President Lee, 'Is there no Lee Jaemyung watch?'" and "The president replied, 'Why would we need something like that?'" This story led to claims that the administration had decided not to produce a presidential watch.
As the controversy grew, President Lee addressed the public's curiosity via social media. President Lee stated, "Since only part of the story about the presidential watch was reported in the media, some misunderstandings seem to have arisen, so I want to clarify," and added, "After listening to various suggestions, I determined that a gift with both meaning and practicality would be suitable, and I instructed the production of a cost-effective presidential watch."
President Lee also said, "As this will be a symbol representing the Republic of Korea, we will prepare it with the utmost care," and added, "We will ensure it becomes a gift that everyone can be proud of. You can look forward to it." Spokesperson Kang also stated in a position paper titled 'Correction,' "President Lee instructed us to look for popular gift items, including watches, and as a result, the watch is scheduled to be produced as an official presidential gift."
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