South Korean police apply for reporter’s arrest over ‘99 Chinese spies’ article
The report claims the Chinese were arrested at an election commission building on the same day as Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law imposition
A South Korean reporter could be facing arrest over a false report alleging interference by 99 Chinese spies during former president Yoon Suk-yeol’s failed martial law imposition last December.
South Korean police have requested an arrest warrant over the purportedly “exclusive” report published in January by local news outlet Sky eDaily, claiming that the spies were arrested by South Korean and US troops at a National Election Commission (NEC) building on the same day as Yoon’s martial law announcement.
The police want to investigate the reporter on charges of “obstruction of official duties” of the NEC, with a court decision on their request expected on Wednesday, according to a report by the Agence France-Presse.
The Sky eDaily report claimed that the Chinese nationals were transferred to a US military base in the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa and confessed to charges of election interference during interrogation, according to a report by Yonhap news agency.
The NEC, American forces based in South Korea and the police have rejected the claims made in the Sky eDaily report.
Surveillance video footage from the NEC has revealed that South Korean troops did not enter the building.
Despite the denials, the report’s allegations spread online, fuelled by Korean right-wing media, YouTubers and political figures.
The report came amid a surge in online misinformation and conspiracy theories sparked by Yoon’s martial law declaration, with unverified claims of electoral fraud and Chinese espionage.
Yoon imposed martial law on December 3 last year, which he said was necessary to break legislative gridlock and “root out” pro-North Korean “anti-state” forces. On December 12 last year, he accused several Chinese nationals of espionage during a public address to defend his decision, a claim rejected by Beijing.
Pro-Yoon rallies turned violent in January when extremist supporters stormed a courthouse in Seoul. At least four of them were handed jail terms after they were convicted on charges including vandalising property and physically attacking members of the press and police officers.
