"The meeting where the People Power Party also participated": Foreign correspondents refute conspiracy theories

When the People Power Party recently criticized a closed-door meeting between Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and pro-China media as a "secret meeting" and a "violation of the law," foreign correspondents directly refuted the claim. The controversial meeting was a "study session" initiated by Japanese journalists and included media outlets from various countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. Foreign correspondents strongly denounced the accusations as a conspiracy theory based on unverified basic facts.

Foreign media reporters who attended the meeting with Lee Jae-myung said in a joint statement on the 10th, "We express our deep regret over a series of unfair allegations recently targeting certain foreign media."

Earlier, the People Power Party's Special Committee on Media, "Real News Excavation Team," issued a press release on the 9th and said, "Representative Lee had a secret meeting with foreign journalists, including reporters from Xinhua News Agency." There is a concern that it will be reported to the Chinese government." He also defined this meeting as a 'secret meeting', 'political broker', and 'violation of the law'.

However, foreign reporters pointed out that such criticism did not cover even the basic facts about the nature of the closed-door meeting and the participants, but presupposed a negative preconceived notion of the nationality of certain media. They said, "The event that the People Power Party took issue with is a study group that is regularly held by Japanese foreign journalists to enhance their understanding of the Republic of Korea," adding, "We invited media companies of other nationalities, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, to this event following prior coordination with the Democratic Party."

"This meeting has held meetings with a number of people, including the People Power Party, leaders of political parties and political and business leaders," he said. "We only questioned the attendance of some national media without confirming all these circumstances."

Foreign journalists said, "The position of the relevant report and the People's Power Party is not only a matter of reducing the free coverage of foreign journalists operating in the Republic of Korea, but also a serious matter that can negatively affect foreign journalists' future coverage activities in Korea. We strongly urge you to maintain a fair and free reporting environment so that foreign journalists can enjoy freedom of speech."