President Lee Jae-myung instructed a strong response to "fake news" on the 6th, defining it as "an act of rebellion" at a cabinet meeting. But what a turn of events! Just days after shocking the public with his severe threats, the president himself has caused an international stir with fake news.

It was on the 10th. President Lee retweeted a post from a Palestinian account named 'Jvnior' on X, which claimed that Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers tortured Palestinian children and then threw them off a roof. He wrote, "I need to find out if this is true, and if it is, what actions were taken. Whether it's comfort women, the Holocaust, or wartime killings, the issues we raise are no different."

However, upon verification, the video was found to have been filmed in September 2024 during an Israeli operation in Kabatiya in the West Bank, unrelated to the ongoing war. Contrary to 'Jvnior's' claims, it was a scene of the bodies of Palestinian militants killed during an exchange of fire being handled. In short, it was utterly false fake news.

Three hours later, President Lee Jae-myung added another post on X, stating, "It's a small relief that it was a body and not a living person." A small relief? Wouldn't it have been a more mature attitude to acknowledge the post was untrue, correct it, and apologize immediately?

However, President Lee Jae-myung, perhaps flustered or embarrassed, first tried to defend his actions, escalating the situation further. He criticized Israel again, stating, "Even if it's a body, such treatment is a violation of international law," implying that his initial criticism of Israel's actions was not wrong.

The following day, the Israeli Foreign Ministry responded on X, stating, "The remarks by Korean President Lee Jae-myung, particularly those that seem to downplay the Holocaust, occurring just before Israel's Holocaust Remembrance Day, are unacceptable and deserve strong condemnation. Furthermore, facts must be verified before making statements."

Israel was not the only one to react. On X, comments mocking the president's fake news and the sympathy it garnered were already rampant. Once the first step was taken incorrectly, the rest was predictable. As criticism poured in, the president seemed to feel compelled to avoid admitting defeat. He further escalated his criticism of Israel, stating, "It is disappointing that the world's people who are suffering and struggling due to continuous anti-human rights and anti-international law actions are not reflecting on these issues."

At this point, there is something we need to understand. Power often has a tendency to alter interpretations rather than facts. While facts remain unchanged, attempting to change interpretations makes people see not "explanation" but "comedy" from that moment on.

Then why does power rely on 'altering interpretations' rather than 'correcting facts'? The answer is simple. The moment facts are acknowledged, one must admit to having become a fool on the international stage. There is an even bigger problem: it entails corresponding political and diplomatic responsibilities. Let's set that aside for now. What is truly astonishing is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea.

A South Korean Foreign Ministry official stated, "We regret that the intent of the post, which expressed a belief in universal human rights rather than an opinion on a specific issue, was misunderstood and refuted. We extend our deep condolences to the victims of the Holocaust."

This explanation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is akin to shouting "Don't misunderstand the meaning of the fire!" when the house is already ablaze. A problematic statement was made, followed by an explanation from the individual involved and the Foreign Ministry, but that explanation turned out to be an even bigger source of amusement.

Power often speaks about its mistakes in this way: "Don't misunderstand." "You need to look at the overall context." "Please understand the intent." The efforts to elevate factually incorrect statements into 'high-level metaphors' or 'simple misunderstandings' are tear-jerking, but from an observer's perspective, the gap is so wide that it elicits involuntary laughter.

Given that they are officials who have attended good universities and passed the foreign service examination to join the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, they surely know of Talleyrand, the foreign minister during Napoleon's era. When his lord made a slip of the tongue or the situation became complicated, he would either remain silent or deflect the situation with very ambiguous words.

If Talleyrand had witnessed this situation, he might have advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding its excessive loyalty: "Diplomatic explanations should be like fog. However, this explanation is not like fog but like a crystal-clear window, making the embarrassment one is trying to hide behind it even more prominent."

The role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is typically to represent the official stance of the country. How can we explain the phenomenon of diplomatic administrative power being mobilized for the extremely personal and political realm of a politician's social media?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not there to 'interpret' the president's fake news. It should be an artist that meticulously orchestrates behind the scenes, calculating the potential repercussions of that fake news in advance and preventing the collapse of trust between nations. Excuses like "Don't misunderstand" are the lowest level of diplomatic response and only serve to further provoke the feelings of the other country.

Perhaps many will agree with the following fact: watching President Lee's X gaffe this time, or the Foreign Ministry's 'Ri Chun-hee style' closing remarks, reminds one of a familiar tragic comedy. A kind of comedy that is funny, but leaves a chill after the laughter.

It is a difficult world to make a living in, for both the South Korean generals who must parrot "Martial law is insurrection!" before their superiors to get promoted, and the Foreign Ministry officials who must speak of universal human rights in the face of fake news that reflects the leader's level.

Former Editorial Writer, Munhwa Ilbo