Lee questions why Korean media sought US view on Yoon verdict

President Lee Jae Myung pushed back against news reports highlighting comments from US officials on the life sentence imposed on former President Yoon Suk Yeol, directing his criticism at the media.

“The core issue is that some Korean media are turning to a foreign government for comments on Korea’s internal affairs,” Lee wrote on his X account.

“Why would (these media outlets) ask for a foreign government’s stance on domestic affairs, especially on a court decision that is independent of politics? Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for the media to raise concerns if a foreign government were to intervene in domestic affairs?”

Lee was referring to media inquiries made to the administration in the US seeking comment on a South Korean district court’s ruling against the former conservative president, who had been Lee’s political rival before his ouster in April 2025.

The president's remarks came after a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, responded to an inquiry from a South Korean news outlet.

A report by the Korean-language outlet News1 said the anonymous source at the US presidential office had no official stance on the judicial decision. However, the source expressed concerns about reports from South Korea alleging politically motivated targeting of religious leaders or US-headquartered enterprises, without providing further details.

The report was followed by a Yonhap News Agency article that cited an unnamed State Department official as saying: “The United States and the ROK share a commitment to the rule of law. This is a matter for the ROK’s judicial system, and the United States respects the independence of its democratic institutions.” ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, South Korea’s official name.

Calling such reporting practices a “fundamental problem,” Lee also questioned why South Korean outlets sought and highlighted comments specifically from the United States — a longtime ally with which Seoul announced a joint fact sheet on trade and security cooperation in November.

“I wonder whether (the media inquiries on the verdict on Yoon) also went to Japan, China, European countries or others,” Lee wrote on X.

As of press time, neither Beijing nor Tokyo had announced an official position on the Seoul Central District Court’s life sentence for Yoon. This contrasts from the situation in April last year, when both governments commented after Yoon was ousted by the Constitutional Court over his short-lived imposition of martial law.