Years-old photos misrepresented as 'cash found at ex-South Korean minister's residence'

"Take a look at Lee Sang-min’s cash box. An amount of cash large enough to fill 16 apple boxes, each weighing 20 kilograms (44 pounds), was found," reads part of the Korean-language caption of a photo shared on X on July 4, 2025.

The photo shows a layer of 10,000 won (US$7) in a cardboard box.

The caption adds: "A cleaning service discovered it at the official residence previously used by Lee Sang-min and reported it. Why did he leave it behind?"

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Screenshot of the false X post captured on July 10, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The photo was also shared on Threads as well as on online forum Bobaedream alongside a similar photo.

"What's funny is, he probably didn't remember where he put the 3.2 billion won or even think it was valuable or important -- isn't that why he just left it there like that?" read a comment on one of the posts.

Another said: "This is something reporters should be writing about. What are they doing?"

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Screenshot of the false Bobaedream post captured on July 11, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The posts surfaced after South Korean broadcasters JTBC and KBS reported that police discovered significant amounts of cash at Lee's home during a February search (archived here and here). The former interior minister has denied the media reports, threatening legal action against the outlets (archived link).

The raid was part of a probe into former president Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to suspend civilian rule in December 2024.

Lee is accused of ordering the national fire agency to cut off electricity and water supply to major media outlets during Yoon's martial law bid and is banned from leaving the country (archived link). 

The photos circulating online, however, do not show cash found at Lee's residence and circulated online years before the probe into his role in Yoon's attempt to impose martial law.

A reverse image search on South Korean search engine Naver found the first photo had been shared on online forum Naver Cafe on November 2, 2018.

The user posted that he had received a box full of cash, before later revealing to other users it was staged "for fun".

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the photo shared in Naver Cafe in November 2018 (right)

A separate reverse image search found the second photo used in a post on online forum Daum Cafe on March 27, 2013 (archived link).

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Screenshot comparison of the falsely shared image (left) and the photo shared on Daum Cafe in March 2013 (right)

South Korean police declined to comment on the claim that a cleaning service employee had found money at Lee's former official residence.

AFP has debunked other claims stemming from Yoon's declaration of martial law here.