Lee urges stern punishment for intentional spreading of false information

SEOUL, June 2 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for stern punishment for those knowingly spreading misinformation, citing an ongoing police investigation into the circulation of online fake news claiming the government will force people to sell U.S. dollars.

The president made the call on his X account, attaching a news article reporting that the police have identified 10 people suspected of circulating fake news claiming the government will issue an emergency order requiring the sale of dollars to address an economic crisis stemming from the Middle East conflict.

"The act of intentionally spreading false information and causing social confusion and economic damage should be identified and punished sternly," Lee wrote on the account.

The president insisted that spreading fake news to the detriment of the public cannot constitute freedom of expression or be tolerated.

"Any acts that harm people or destroy public order and values are tantamount to serious crimes that should be punished severely, even if they were committed as a joke," Lee noted.

As claims about the dollar sale circulated in online communities and blogs, the finance ministry dismissed them as "fake news," saying such a measure has never even been discussed.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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