The Ministry of Unification said on October 28 that it had filed criminal complaints against two people, including a columnist and a YouTube channel operator, on suspicion of spreading false information about Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young, claiming he has a daughter in North Korea.
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young takes a drink during a comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification and other agencies by the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on the 27th. Yonhap News.
The ministry's spokesperson's office said in a statement that day, "Minister Jeong filed criminal complaints against Columnist A, whom he believes was the first to spread the claims, and YouTube channel operator and film director B on suspicion of defamation under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, among other offenses." A is reportedly a former National Intelligence Service employee.
The ministry said, "We will always listen humbly to criticism and differing views on our policies, but personal attacks based on fabricated facts are not protected by freedom of expression." It added that the claims "seriously damaged the minister's reputation and undermined trust in the ministry's policies, thereby obstructing the ministry's public duties."
It further refuted the claims, saying, "The minister has no daughter, has never been to Wonsan, and the claim that he received...
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