Posts misrepresent US Congress research report to discredit South Korean president

Published on September 24, 2025 at 05:53
2 min read
By SHIM Kyu-Seok, AFP South Korea

The United States has not classified South Korean President Lee Jae Myung as a "criminal", contrary to Korean-language posts citing a report by the legislative branch’s research arm. The December 2024 report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) examined South Korea's political crisis following the impeachment of then-president Yoon Suk Yeol, and noted that Lee -- who was the presumed front-runner for an early election -- had been accused of crimes that could render him ineligible for public office were he to be found guilty.

"US Congress officially designated Lee Jae Myung a criminal," reads Korean-language text in a graphic shared on Facebook on September 16, 2025.

The graphic also includes what appear to be images of the South Korean president and a report from the CRS next to more Korean text that says, "There is no alliance for a criminal" and "The US has already abandoned Lee Jae Myung".

Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on September 22, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The same graphic was widely shared among right-wing users and groups on Facebook.

The graphic was also used as the thumbnail for a YouTube video in July. The video asserts: "The CRS, in an official report from 2022, unmistakably classifies Lee as a criminal... This is not just a political attack but an official evaluation accepted by both parties in the United States."

But the claim is false.

The report alluded to in the false posts was published in December 2024, not 2022, and although it noted allegations against Lee, it did not call him a criminal (archived link).

Titled "South Korean Political Crisis: Martial Law and Impeachment," the report assessed political uncertainty following the impeachment of then-president Yoon Suk Yeol for a botched martial law attempt earlier that month.

"The timing of the court’s verdict [on Yoon’s impeachment] could be important because the presumed front-runner for an early election, DP (Democratic Party) leader Lee Jae-myung, faces multiple court proceedings in which guilty verdicts could render him ineligible for political office," it reads.

"[Lee] is accused of corruption, violating election laws, and involvement in an illegal cash transfer to North Korea. He is appealing a November 2024 election law conviction that bars him from running for office."

Lee's ongoing trials have been suspended after his election to the presidency, based on a constitutional clause that grants the officeholder immunity from prosecution (archived link).

According to a disclaimer on the website of Congress, CRS documents carry no legal weight and "should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information" that has been provided to lawmakers (archived link).

Separate searches of CRS databases show no instance of Lee being described as a "criminal" (archived link).

There are also no other Congressional documents detailing Lee's ongoing trials.

AFP has debunked multiple false claims about purported US responses to South Korean politics.

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