Image of former S.Korean president 'reading Han Dong-hoon's memoir' is doctored

Published on March 10, 2025 at 08:26
3 min read
By SHIM Kyu-Seok, AFP South Korea

The impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has sparked discussions about his potential successor if the Constitutional Court decides to uphold the parliamentary vote that removed him from office. As the verdict nears, supporters of politician Han Dong-hoon have shared an image appearing to show the country's former leader Park Geun-hye reading Han's memoir in an apparent endorsement for the top job. But the picture is manipulated and originally shows Park with a different book.

"President Park Geun-hye is reading chairman Han Dong-hoon's book. She has selected him as the next president," reads the Korean-language caption to the image shared on Facebook on March 6.

It purports to show former president Park reading "The People Come First". The memoir -- released earlier that month -- shares Han's perspective on President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law that plunged South Korea into turmoil (archived here and here).

Han led Yoon's People Power Party through the 2024 parliamentary election but resigned after its landslide loss. He has expressed an intention to run in the next presidential race if the Constitutional Court upholds Yoon's impeachment (archived link).

Many pro-Yoon conservatives have labelled Han a traitor for helping vote down Yoon's suspension of civilian rule and pushing for his impeachment (archived link).

Screenshot of the false post shared on Facebook, captured March 7, 2025

The image has also surfaced on other Facebook fan groups devoted to Han, as well as on the South Korean forum DC Inside.

Comments indicate some users believed it is genuine.

"This is a sign President Park supports chairman [Han]," one wrote while another said: "Park Geun-hye must be crazy, why is she reading that traitor's book?"

But there have been no official reports that Park has endorsed Han as of March 10, and the image has been manipulated.

A keyword search on South Korean search engine Naver found the original photo published in a Yonhap News report on June 30, 2014, showing Park looking at a different book (archived link).

"President Park Geun-hye during a meeting at the Blue House on the morning of the 30th looks at the booklet 'Welfare Services That Help Me,' released by 17 different ministries including the Health Ministry," says its caption.

Screenshot comparison between the doctored image (L) and the original photo published from Yonhap News

"Welfare Services That Help Me" is a booklet released annually by the Health Ministry that contains information on various health and welfare services available to the public (archived link).

The 2014 version of the booklet has a cover that matches the booklet Park is reading in the image (archived link).

Footage of Park from the same meeting on June 30, 2014, shows her wearing the same clothes (archived link).

AFP has previously debunked misinformation around the political turmoil in South Korea -- as well as those involving Han.

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