Lee demands apology over gang allegation claims

Mar 20, 2026, 09:55 am

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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Sejong. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung on March 20 called for apologies over past allegations linking him to organized crime, saying such claims were politically motivated and based on falsehoods.

In a social media post, Lee said, “There must be reflection and an apology for fabricated disclosures and manipulated broadcasts to prevent people from being destroyed by lies and political motives.”

He added, “It may be asking too much, but I want to hear a sincere apology.”

Lee specifically referred to the SBS investigative program “Unanswered Questions,” which reported the allegations during his presidential campaign. “I wonder whether the program that created the ‘organized crime connection’ claim will follow up with additional reporting, and if so, what it will say,” he wrote.

He argued that the report led to severe reputational damage, saying, “I was suddenly portrayed as a murderous gang member,” and described it as part of a broader effort involving “physical threats, judicial risks through prosecutors, and image-damaging operations via the media.”

Lee also questioned the lack of follow-up reporting despite extensive investigations. “They gathered tips nationwide and conducted large-scale reporting—was there even a single piece of evidence?” he asked.

Earlier, the Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling sentencing Jang Young-ha, a local People Power Party official who raised the allegations, to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence.

The presidential office said the previous day that it would exercise its legal right to request follow-up reports from media outlets that had covered the allegations. Under South Korea’s media arbitration law, individuals acquitted of alleged crimes can request additional reporting to clarify the facts.

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