Arrest warrant sought for fake news of 99 Chinese spies 'arrested for election rigging'

Seoul police on Monday said they have requested an arrest warrant for the reporter of an internet news website who posted misinformation about Chinese spies purportedly confessing to mass-scale election rigging in Korea.

The post, uploaded on online platform Sky Daily, which is notorious for making false claims with far-right political inclinations, falsely claimed that 99 Chinese spies had been arrested at the National Election Commission by the Martial Law Command during then-President Yoon Suk Yeol's ill-fated imposition of martial law late in the night of Dec. 3, 2024, and early the next morning. The report offered no evidence and did not cite specific sources for its claims.

The report was debunked by US Forces Korea, which explicitly addressed the claim as "entirely false," adding that "all information is false from Sky Daily, the DOD (US Department of Defense) and USFK have both stated the claim is false."

The NEC requested a police investigation, and the person who wrote the post is facing a charge of obstruction of performance of official duties by fraudulent means, stipulated in Article 137 of the Criminal Act as interfering with public official duties via falsehood. Officials say that posting the false claim interfered with tasks by state election authorities.

Police have vowed firm counteractions against online fake news.

The claim over recent state elections being rigged — despite numerous state-led investigations finding no proof — was among the key reasons the since-expelled Yoon cited as grounds for his declaration of martial law. Yoon's legal team cited the aforementioned report in his impeachment trial.