National Security Office Director Wi Sung-rak said that the government will identify both domestic and international channels through which former U.S. President Donald Trump received false information and will take appropriate action.
On the 25th (local time), just three hours before the Korea-U.S. summit, President Trump made a bombshell post on his social media saying, “What is happening in Korea right now? It looks like a purge or a revolution.” In response to related questions at the time, he claimed, “I heard that the new Korean government raided churches in a very brutal manner and took information from our military bases,” citing the special counsel investigation into an alleged insurrection. This revealed how far-right forces in Korea—who support former President Yoon Suk-yeol and promote election conspiracy theories—are closely linked to Trump’s MAGA base and can even influence Trump himself.
In an interview with KBS1 Radio’s Jung Kwan-yong’s Current Affairs Headquarters on the 31st, Director Wi stated the government’s position to track and respond to these information channels.
He said, “In addition to the prior conversation between Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, we provided objective explanations and our position through various other channels, including the State Department. The important thing is that President (Lee Jae-myung) directly explained it at the summit, and President Trump acknowledged it as a misunderstanding, which resolved the issue.”
Wi added, “Of course, we explained and responded well, but fundamentally, I don’t think it was a serious issue. There was an insurrection, and under the Constitution and the law, a special counsel was established to investigate. That is in line with the rule of law, a value shared by both Korea and the U.S.”
However, he also said, “We will continue to take further measures.” His remarks partially acknowledged growing concerns that transnational far-right networks could negatively affect Korea-U.S. relations, as demonstrated by this incident.
He continued, “It’s not yet clear exactly how this happened, but it’s true that someone provided President Trump with false information. Whether that originated inside the U.S. or if someone in Korea worked to feed him such input—we will identify it and respond appropriately.”
Wi concluded, “This issue isn’t about illegality or corruption—it’s about constitutional and rule-of-law processes, which we can explain and address sufficiently. But we must ensure that this never happens again.”
Posted by Freewhale98