SHAMAN ‘INVOLVED’ IN PRES. HOME SELECTION

[Anchor Lead]

The presidential office sued Kim Jong-dae and a radio broadcaster for claiming that a fortune teller named Cheongong was involved in selecting the location of the presidential residence. The top office said a shamanistic framework was set up without any objective grounds. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon sued Democratic Party member Kim Eui-kyeom and an online media channel for spreading false information by raising suspicions of a drinking party in Cheongdamdong, and asked for one billion won in damages.

[Pkg]

Former Justice Party representative Kim Jong-dae raised suspicion in a radio interview that a fortune teller named Cheongong was involved in selecting the location of the presidential residence. Kim claimed that right before choosing Hannam-dong as the site of the residence, he heard from a defense ministry official that Kim Yong-hyun, then head of the CheongWaDae relocation task force, had visited the Army chief of staff's official residence with Cheongong.

[Soundbite] Kim Jong-dae(former Justice Party (Dec. 5, TBS Radio)) : "(Are you saying that a person named Cheongong came to see the Army chief of staff's residence?) He looked at his residence in Hannam-dong. The defense ministry was reportedly very concerned about this."

The president's office took legal action the day after the show was aired. The top office sued Kim Jong dae and broadcaster Kim Ou-joon for spreading false information, claiming that Kim Yong-hyun and Cheongong are complete strangers and a shamanistic framework was set up without any objective basis. The Army also expressed regret, saying they tarnished the military's honor with completely groundless and false claims. This is the second time the top office took legal action on the members of the opposition camp. The first was the Democratic Party's Jang Kyung-tae who sparked a controversy over First Lady Kim Keon-hee's photos with sick children in Cambodia. A presidential office official warned against over-interpretation, stating that they were held legally responsible in line with the government's consistent principles about fake news. Meanwhile, Justice Minister Han Dong-hoon also took legal action of his own. He had staked his ministerial position against the rumor of a drinking party in Cheongdam-dong. He sued DP member Kim Eui-kyeom and online media channel Citizen Press for spreading false information and asked for one billion won in damages. Representative Kim said Han is trying to silence him with money, adding he would fight until the end and not back down.