The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said a social media post claiming that Minister Lee So-young paid 12.2 billion won with Onnuri gift certificates at a vegetable shop in Gwangju is not true and signaled legal action.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) issued an explanatory statement on the 11th, saying, "Posts and claims circulating recently on social media with titles such as 'Minister Lee So-young, paid 12.2 billion at a 4-pyeong vegetable shop in Jeolla-do Gwangju,' 'Lee So-young, illegal currency exchange by paying 12.2 billion in gift certificates at a vegetable shop' are clearly fabricated false information."
It added, "The post is baseless fiction maliciously distorting the allegations of illicit distribution at Onnuri gift certificate merchants and the Minister's response raised at the Trade. Industry Energy. SMEs. and Startups Committee's audit on the 7th."
At the audit, Kim Won-i, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party of Korea, raised suspicions of illicit distribution, pointing out that the Onnuri gift certificate payment amount at a local traditional market cooperative reached 12.2 billion won but transaction records could not be verified.
He added, "It suggests the possibility of tax evasion and is a clear illegal transaction that undermines the purpose of Onnuri gift certificates," and noted, "Even though illegal transactions of Onnuri gift certificates are rampant, the Small Enterprise and Market Service is failing to catch them."
The Minister answered,...
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups said a social media post claiming that Minister Lee So-young paid 12.2 billion won with Onnuri gift certificates at a vegetable shop in Gwangju is not true and si...