South Korea's President Denounces Unverified YouTube Claims of Slush Fund and Military Secrets

South Korea’s President Lee Jae-myung has condemned a video aired on the YouTube channel Jeon Han-gil News, which featured a man claiming to expose a slush fund and the leakage of military secrets.

In a post on his social media, Lee quoted Democratic Party lawmaker Han Junho and called the allegations “pathetic and malicious smear” that should be punished.

The program featured a guest described as a former operations officer of Korea’s National Security Planning Agency, known in Korean as Ankibu. He alleged that President Lee is preparing to flee to China and that, in Singapore, Lee handed over 160 trillion won and military secrets to China.

The guest said he learned of the information from an American intelligence officer but offered no concrete evidence to support the claims.

Observers noted that the allegations have not been substantiated and were aired without verifiable proof.

For international audiences, the episode illustrates how unverified claims broadcast online can influence perceptions of a key U.S. ally and potentially affect security policy and political stability in a country allied with the United States.

Contextual background: Ankibu was the security planning body that preceded Korea’s current intelligence framework, and the Blue House refers to the presidential office. The incident underscores the ongoing domestic political dynamics shaping Korea’s governance and its security partnership with the United States.