Democratic Party of Korea condemns media over president claims after Jang Young-ha ruling

The Democratic Party of Korea criticized the media on Thursday for spreading unfounded accusations about President Lee Jae-myung after the Supreme Court confirmed a conviction against lawyer Jang Young-ha, who had raised the so-called “gangster ties” allegations concerning the president. The court sentenced Jang to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence for violating the Public Official Election Act.

In a written briefing, party spokesperson Baek Seung-a said that the case involved “groundless claims and fake news” used to cast the president as a criminal, and that this narrative must be corrected. She asserted that the legal outcome should focus attention on the issue of misinformation and accountability.

Baek argued that the bigger problem lies with media outlets that indiscriminately amplified the allegations without verification and have not offered proper corrections despite the Supreme Court’s final ruling. She contended that many citizens continue to misunderstand the president as a result of those reportingchoices.

She added that political operatives who distort elections through false information commit a serious assault on democracy, and that irresponsible reporting risks eroding public trust and destabilizing society. The party urged media outlets to publicly apologize and rectify the record.

For international readers, the case centers on how election-law violations and political smear campaigns intersect with freedom of the press in Korea. It also highlights ongoing challenges in fact-checking and accountability within a fast-moving digital media environment, especially ahead of elections.

The episode matters beyond Korea because it touches on the integrity of electoral processes, media responsibility, and the spread of misinformation in a major Asian democracy. These dynamics can influence investor confidence, technology and manufacturing supply chains, and geopolitical alignment with the United States.

Ultimately, the party framed the issue as a test of democratic norms: truth and justice should prevail over false narratives, with both media and politics bearing responsibility for ensuring accurate public discourse.