Posts share fake Moon Jae-in tweet as 'coded message to North Korean spies'

"It looks like some directive that only (North Korean spies) understand, as I can't understand what this message is saying at all," reads the Korean-language claim shared here on Facebook on February 3, 2023.

The screenshot appears to show an incoherent tweet about gardening from Moon's Twitter handle @moonriver365.

The text reads: "I have passed on fieldwork. Sweet potatoes, peppers, perilla, best seedlings, buckwheat were sowed. There was also doran. Trees that bear fruit deleted her message. Please learn more about this area. Floor, Totoi, Songang, Daun and Maeui are also hard at work."

Another claim seen below the alleged tweet reads, "Moon Jae-in wrote a message incomprehensible to ordinary people meant for resident (North Korean) spies."

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Screenshot of the misleading claim shared on Facebook. Captured February 7, 2023.

The Korea Times reported on January 10 that South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) and police were investigating allegations that a North Korean spy ring involving liberal activists and party officials had helped promote anti-government activities since 2017.

There has been criticism that South Korea's intelligence agency was lax on counterespionage investigations under the previous Moon administration, but Moon's aides have denied such allegations.

As president, Moon championed engagement with Pyongyang. His diplomacy ultimately failed, with the North now more belligerent than ever, and his attempts at dialogue enraged many security hawks. Since he left office in May 2022, his opponents have accused him of being a "spy" and called for him "to be deported to North Korea".

Identical screenshots of this alleged tweet were also shared on Facebook here, here and here.

Comments in the misleading posts indicated some users were misled to believe the tweet was genuinely posted by Moon.

"It looks like (Moon) is replying to the North's directives. Planting trees and vegetables, maybe this means someone has arrived. If a person who was a president of a country has acted in such an unbelievable way he should be tried for treason," one user wrote.

"It appears as though it is communication between spies," wrote another.

The tweet, however, has been doctored.

Doctored tweet

A keyword search on Twitter found Moon's original tweet published on the same date and time -- 11:17am on May 20, 2022 -- as the doctored tweet shared in the misleading Facebook posts.

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Screenshot of Moon's original tweet from May 20, 2022. Captured February 7, 2023.

The original tweet reads, "I finally started working in the field. Sweet potatoes, red peppers, lettuce, perilla seeds, and corn were planted, and buckwheat was widely sown.

"Potatoes and taro were also planted in the corner. Trees that bear fruit were planted even earlier.

"This area also suffers from drought, so frequent irrigation is required. Maru, Tori, Gom, Songgang, Down, Jjingjjinggi are also adapting well."

The names "Maru, Tori, Gom, Songgang, Down, Jjingjjinggi" mentioned in Moon's tweet refer to his dogs and cats, all of which he brought to Pyeongsan, where he has resided since leaving office on May 9, 2022.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the doctored tweet shared in the misleading social media posts (left) and Moon's original tweet from May 2022 (right):

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Screenshot comparison of the doctored tweet shared in the misleading social media posts (left) and Moon's original tweet from May 2022 (right)

An archived version of the tweet on the Wayback Machine from the day Moon posted the tweet on May 20, 2022, features the exact same text, indicating he has not edited the tweet since.

As the tweet was one of the first public statements put out by Moon since leaving office, it was quoted in multiple local media reports from May 2022, including here, here and here.