On October 16th, Jeon Yong-gi, the National Communication Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and stated, "We are filing a complaint with the police against two writers of Hankyoreh Shinmun articles and columns for defamation through the dissemination of false information (violation of the Information and Communications Network Act)."

The press release included the statement, "We have been led to maliciously spread false reports and fake news that amounts to character assassination against Kim Hyun-ji, the Chief of the First Presidential Secretariat." However, the Democratic Party's basis for the complaint is not concrete evidence that the article contains falsehoods, but rather an arbitrary judgment that the interpretation and evaluation of the reporting were "false."

The Democratic Party, unable to refute the facts of the article itself, chose to file a criminal complaint by questioning the reporter's expressions and interpretation of context. This is an act that denies the interpretability of media reporting and the freedom of criticism, and it is a highly unusual case of responding with political rhetoric and emotional language without presenting concrete facts.

Although the same content was repeated in subsequent press conferences held at the National Assembly Communication Center, there was still no refutation or presentation of evidence regarding specific facts. Instead, political rhetoric such as "fake news" and "character assassination" was intensified, which can be interpreted as a political linguistic strategy to emphasize the frame over the substance of the issue.

Freedom of the press is the freedom to monitor power, and attempting criminal punishment for interpreting or evaluating reporting is unacceptable in a democratic country. The Democratic Party's complaint action cannot help but be interpreted as a political act to suppress critical media, rather than a simple rebuttal or correction.

Kim Hyun-ji, the Chief of the First Presidential Secretariat, is a high-ranking public official currently serving directly under the President. According to Article 65 of the State Public Officials Act and Article 7, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution, she cannot be a party member of a political party or participate in political activities. Nevertheless, the Democratic Party of Korea, under the name of a major political party, held a press conference and submitted a complaint on behalf of Kim Hyun-ji. This is a highly unusual case of a political party treating a high-ranking executive official of the administrative branch as a target for political protection.

In the past, even during the presidencies of Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam, when allegations of family corruption or controversies involving close associates arose, the ruling party never directly intervened to sue the media or pressure investigative agencies. Former President Kim Dae-jung stated regarding the corruption allegations of his three sons, "There are no exceptions before the law," and former President Kim Young-sam said when his son Kim Hyun-cheol was arrested, "If my son has committed a crime, he must be held accountable."

In contrast, the Democratic Party of Korea under the Lee Jae-myung administration holding a press conference and filing a criminal complaint on behalf of a high-ranking presidential office official is a historically unusual case, and it shows that Chief Kim Hyun-ji of the First Presidential Secretariat is perceived as a core figure of the administration. It is difficult to find a precedent where a major political party intervened in criminal proceedings to protect a public official.

In the press conference, Chairman Jeon Yong-gi claimed that Hankyoreh Shinmun published false reports, mentioning "adultery, having children out of wedlock, and misuse of national funds." However, in Hankyoreh Shinmun's article, the words 'adultery', 'child out of wedlock', and 'birth' do not appear even once. The article was a report based on objective evidence such as public interviews, testimonies from stakeholders, and administrative data.

The Democratic Party's press conference was filled with emotional condemnation and political rhetoric, not a refutation of the facts. Words like "false," "fake news," and "character assassination" were repeated, but no concrete grounds or counter-evidence were presented.

The absence of facts is the absence of logic. The Democratic Party's press conference was nothing more than a political performance constructed with agitated language instead of logic.

A political party responding to uncomfortable reporting with criminal charges is an instinctive reaction of power to suppress criticism. The media has the freedom to criticize power, and that freedom is the substance of the people's right to know, guaranteed by the Constitution. The moment "freedom of criticism" is curtailed, democracy loses its substance and remains only in name.

A society where political parties attempt to suppress the media through lawsuits is no longer governed by freedom, but by the language of fear.

As a media outlet that records the inconveniences of power, Hankyoreh Shinmun will fulfill its responsibility to cover and report facts that the public needs to know. We will not be swayed by the pressure of any political force. Politics is temporary, but records remain. Hankyoreh Shinmun will defend the freedom of criticism to the end in its role as a recorder.

We are aware that there are various critical evaluations of the reporting on Kim Hyun-ji. The cited anonymous source exists, and he is someone who knows Lee Jae-myung well.

Reporting critical of the Lee Jae-myung administration always involves significant risks. What they aim for is not truth, but fear, and by creating that fear, they silence the media.

Therefore, this is an era where even reporting on suspicions requires courage. It is an ironic reality, but the moment the media loses that courage, the last lamp of democracy will also be extinguished.

Finally, we implore the Democratic Party: please refrain from exerting undue influence on the police and let us debate fairly in court.

October 17, 2025

Editorial Department of Hankyoreh Shinmun