In 1894 (the 31st year of King Gojong's reign), Queen Min moved her residence from Changdeokgung Palace to Gyeongbokgung Palace, specifically to Geoncheonggung Palace. At this time, Queen Min brought along a shaman she had met during her period of refuge in Janghowon. The shaman's name was Jin-ryeong-gun (眞靈君), a title bestowed upon her by King Gojong and Queen Min themselves. The Chinese characters literally translate to 'a truly efficacious and noble person.' This detail vividly illustrates how engrossed the King and Queen were in the shaman's deceptive pronouncements.

  Prior to this, while Queen Min was residing at Changdeokgung Palace, the following rumor circulated among the populace: "What Jin-ryeong-gun said at Changdeokgung Palace last night was issued as a royal decree the next morning."

  Even after returning to Gyeongbokgung Palace, King Gojong and Queen Min's reverence for Jin-ryeong-gun remained unchanged. Queen Min ceded her official residential quarters, the Gyonnyeong-hap, to Jin-ryeong-gun. The nearby Boksu-dang was converted into a shrine for her. Jin-ryeong-gun's Bukmyo (Northern Shrine), located near Changdeokgung Palace, continued to be crowded with visitors.

  Following their relocation to Gyeongbokgung Palace, a new taunt emerged in public discourse: "Appointments come from the shrine, and heads roll from the Northern Shrine."

  Leveraging the backing of Queen Min and King Gojong, Jin-ryeong-gun wielded immense power and manipulated state affairs as she pleased. The extent of Jin-ryeong-gun's political interference and its detrimental consequences are even meticulously documented in 'Maecheon Yarok' (The Maecheon Diaries) by Hwang Hyeon.

  Unable to stand by any longer, An Hyo-je, a censor in the Office of the Censor-General, submitted a memorial risking his life, demanding Jin-ryeong-gun's punishment. He referred to Jin-ryeong-gun as a "licentious spirit" and fiercely criticized her, stating that she "deceived people with her preposterous words and usurped the King's favor." He further demanded that "Jin-ryeong-gun's head be severed and displayed."

  King Gojong and Queen Min did not let this pass. Upon receiving the memorial, they immediately ordered An Hyo-je's exile. An Hyo-je was sentenced to exile in the distant and harsh island of Jeju.

  Why did King Gojong and Queen Min resort to such a strong countermeasure? It was an attempt to preempt any further impeachment memorials. However, it was to no avail.

  Ji Seok-yeong, famous for introducing the smallpox vaccination, once again stepped forward bravely. He admonished, "This licentious woman, Jin-ryeong-gun, has deceived the King and Queen by invoking spiritual power, extorted wealth under the guise of prayer, and engaged in state manipulation by bestowing key positions upon those who flatter her. The people are clamoring to tear her flesh. Your Majesty, it is time to pay attention to the worsening public sentiment."

  No matter how late the Joseon Dynasty was, nearing its collapse, the intellectuals of that era were far more courageous and burning with a sense of justice than today's elites in South Korean society. Of course, brave voices still exist somewhere in Korean society. However, it is a world where those who speak for the intentions of power and seek favor are more visible than such voices.

  Furthermore, on the 16th, the Democratic Party's Committee for Public Communication filed a police complaint against two authors of an article in the Hahpbe newspaper for spreading false information. During a press conference that day, Committee Chairman Jeon Yong-gi claimed that regarding the article about Kim Hyun-ji, the First Presidential Secretary of the Presidential Office, it "instigated malicious false reporting and fake news tantamount to character assassination."

  The Communication Committee pointed out, "Falsehood and fabrication are always accompanied by responsibility," adding, "This action is not a response for a specific individual, but a legitimate act to uphold accurate information and fact-based reporting."

  The author was surprised by the statement, "Falsehood and fabrication are always accompanied by responsibility." The author never expected such words to come from the Democratic Party, but regardless, it was welcome news. Indeed, isn't that the just society that all citizens desire?

  Unfortunately, in our society, such falsehoods and fabrications have been rampant for a long time without any checks and balances. The mechanism for subsequent correction to ascertain facts has been non-existent.

  We need not look far. On December 3rd of last year, when former President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, Kim Eo-jun's News Factory stated they had received a "tip" that "an assassination squad was activated during martial law." He claimed it included the assassination of Han Dong-hoon, the escort of Jo Guk and Kim Eo-jun, and the announcement of North Korean involvement.

  The "Hong Jang-won Memo," which went through versions 1 to 4, and the allegations of tampering (a case where Byun Hee-jae, head of MediaWatch, sued Democratic Party lawmaker Park Sun-won in relation to this, but the authorities have remained silent to this day). The case of Democratic Party lawmaker Park Bum-gye's alleged instigation of perjury, related to the confession of former Special Warfare Command General Kwak Jong-geun, also remains murky. This is how things often turn out in South Korea when one approaches the prosecution or police these days.

  How many false facts have eaten away at and sickened our society surrounding the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye? Including the manipulation of the tablet PC revealed by representative Byun Hee-jae, and claims such as "On the day of the Sewol ferry accident, President Park met with Jeong Yun-hoe (the ex-husband of Choi Seo-won) at a hotel," "A sex video will be released," "She prescribed Viagra," and "Choi Soon-sil asked a shaman about ministerial appointments"—the number is beyond counting.

  Democratic Party lawmakers loudly proclaimed that the electromagnetic waves from the THAAD base in Seongju were "enough to rot Seongju melons and fry people." What happened afterward? Not a single person faced criticism or sanctions.

  Reading the press conference statement by Committee Chairman Jeon Yong-gi, the author felt that the time has finally come for all citizens to participate and discern what is false and what is true. It is a good opportunity for "legitimate acts to uphold accurate information and fact-based reporting to take root." If we can thus purify the entire society, South Korea will mature further.

  A campaign to determine the truth, not a lawsuit or complaint to shield or protect someone! How about Representative Jeon Yong-gi taking the lead in such an endeavor? If that were to happen, we could proudly say that in the Joseon Dynasty, there were the voices of intellectuals An Hyo-je and Ji Seok-yeong surrounding the shaman Jin-ryeong-gun, and in South Korea, there was the voice of Representative Jeon Yong-gi surrounding Secretary Kim Hyun-ji.

Lee Shin-woo, Former Editorial Writer for The Culture Ilbo and Author of 'Invalid Elections and Rebels'