The post came after the opposition-controlled National Assembly approved a bill provide a cash handout of 250,000 won to all South Korean citizens on August 2 as “emergency livelihood support” during a cost of living crisis, one of Lee’s general election promises (archived link).
The plan has been opposed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP), who consider it fiscally irresponsible. The Democratic Party shot down an obstruction by the PPP, but Yoon is still expected to veto the project (archived link).
The same graphic was also shared on other Facebook pages linked to the PPP here, here and here.
Comments left on the posts indicated that several users were misled into believing that Lee or the Democratic Party’s bill proposed giving cash handouts to Chinese tourists.
Several users called Lee crazy, while others said he should fund the donation out of his own pocket “instead of taxpayer money.”
Cash payment account
But a spokesman for Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo – who co-authored the bill – told AFP that the claims in the posts were “not true”.
He went on to say that Article 5 of the bill clearly outlined what types of foreigners would be eligible to receive payments and did not include Chinese tourists.
According to the final version of the bill posted on the National Assembly website, only foreigners residing in the country who are married to a South Korean citizen, those who have permanent residence status, or those who have been granted asylum in South Korea would be eligible for the handout (archived link).
The image of Lee shared with the fake post matches a scene from Channel A news images of the former Democratic Party chairman first proposing the money distribution plan on March 24, ahead of the April elections (archived link).
The report, which included excerpts from Lee’s speech, said Lee proposed distributing 250,000 won to every South Korean citizen in his speech.
Below is a screenshot comparison of the image shared in the fake posts (left) and Channel A’s original report on Lee’s speech (right):
Video footage of Lee’s entire speech that day, filmed by broadcaster JTBC, shows that he made no mention of whether foreigners of any kind would be eligible for the payment (archived link).
The AFP has already debunked false allegations relating to Lee here, here and here.
