President Lee Criticizes Report on U.S. Response to Yoon Verdict: "Why Ask a Foreign Government?"

On February 21, President Lee Jaemyung commented on a news report that asked the U.S. government for its position on the first-instance verdict for former President Yoon Sukyeol, pointing out that "the fundamental problem is that some media outlets in Korea are asking foreign governments for their opinions on domestic issues."

On the same day, President Lee shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) an article covering remarks by a senior White House official regarding the trial of former President Yoon and made these comments.

President Lee Jaemyung. Yonhap News

President Lee criticized this by saying, "Why are they asking a foreign government for its position on a domestic matter, especially on a judicial ruling that is independent from politics?" He added, "When a foreign government intervenes in domestic affairs, it is the normal role of the press to raise the issue as interference in internal affairs."

President Lee further added, "I am curious whether they asked only the United States for its position on the trial over Korea's loyalist military coup, or whether they also asked other countries such as Japan, China, and those in Europe."

The article President Lee shared reported that on February 19 (local time), when a senior White House official was asked for a position on the verdict for former President Yoon, the official said that the United States "takes no position on judicial matters in Korea," but also stated that it "remains concerned about reports of cases in Korea where religious figures or American companies have been targeted for political reasons."

The following day, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, in a written response to a similar inquiry from Korean media, stated, "This is a matter for the Korean judicial system, and the United States respects the independence of its democratic institutions."