Yoon warns 'fake news' threatens freedom and identity

President Yoon Suk Yeol underscored that fabrications and "fake news" threaten the country's freedom and identity, speaking at a founding anniversary of the Korea Freedom Federation, a conservative civic group, on Wednesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, waves during an event marking the 69th founding anniversary of the Korea Freedom Federation at Jangchung Arena in central Seoul on Wednesday attended by some 4,000 people. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Yoon Suk Yeol underscored that fabrications and "fake news" threaten the country's freedom and identity, speaking at a founding anniversary of the Korea Freedom Federation, a conservative civic group, on Wednesday.

"There are too many forces that systematically and continuously shake and threaten a free Republic of Korea with false instigations, fabrications, fake news and strange stories, denying national identity," Yoon said at the event marking the 69th founding anniversary of the federation.

It is the first time in 24 years since former President Kim Dae-jung in 1999 that a president participated in the founding event of the Korea Freedom Federation, an organization with some 3.2 million members dating back to 1954 which has focused on safeguarding liberal democracy and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

"To this end, we must have a correct view of history, a responsible view of the state and a clear view of national security," Yoon added.

He went on to criticize "distorted historical consciousness and anti-state forces with an irresponsible view of the state that has requested the lifting of United Nations Security Council sanctions against North Korean Communists," as well as those who supported a declaration to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War and dismantle the United Nations Command.

Yoon said in remarks apparently aimed at the previous Moon Jae-in administration that the "national security of a free Republic of Korea was fatally shaken."

He said that since taking office as president last year, he has "strengthened the South Korea-U.S. alliance and upgraded it to a nuclear-based one in order to deter North Korean nuclear threats and provocations."

Yoon continued, "Our diplomacy, which only looked at North Korea and was ignored by China, has grown into a global pivotal diplomacy that closely cooperates with all countries in the five oceans and six continents that respect international norms."

Around 4,000 people attended the ceremony held at Jangchung Arena in central Seoul, including the federation's president, Kang Seok-ho, and leaders of Yoon's People Power Party (PPP).

At the ceremony, Yoon awarded medals and citations to 18 federation members "in recognition of their efforts to defend liberal democracy and encourage national harmony," the presidential office said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, presides over a national fiscal strategy meeting at the Blue House Yeongbingwan in central Seoul Wednesday. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Later in the day, Yoon presided over a meeting reviewing national fiscal strategy at the Blue House attended by some 80 officials including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, key Cabinet members and PPP leaders including Chairman Kim Gi-hyeon.

The meeting focused on the direction of mid-term fiscal management from 2023 to 2027 and budget planning for next year.

Yoon stressed that his administration in the past year has focused on fiscal soundness, noting that under the previous administration, national debt grew more than 400 trillion won ($305.3 billion) over the past five years and national debt surpassed 1,000 trillion won for the first time last year.

"We tried to realize true welfare for the disadvantaged with the financial resources saved by rejecting reckless cash distributions and political populism," Yoon said.

At the meeting, Yoon said that "ineffective" budgeting, including "political subsidies supporting unions and nonprofit organizations," should be "completely reexamined on a zero-based basis."

Yoon instructed officials to "get rid of ridiculous political subsidies," regarding allocations of government subsidies, said presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon in a written statement, while "economic subsidies should be kept, and social subsidies should be streamlined and rationalized."

The Yoon administration has previously said it will consider ending government subsidies to labor unions that refuse to open their accounting books and reveal how they are spending tax money.

The government also decided to back measures such as increasing the number of migrant workers and extending the period of their sojourn in order to resolve the shortage of manpower in workplaces.

The first session discussed fiscal innovation tasks such as subsidies, addressing the low birth rate, balanced regional development and reforming financial support methods, according to the presidential office.

In the second session, discussions included the direction of financial investment, including official development assistance and realizing the goal of becoming a global pivotal country in three key investment areas — defense, research and development and welfare.

Yoon instructed Cabinet members to think from the "perspective of the people, not from a position of securing budgets for the ministries concerned," as they discuss how to allocate limited government resources.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]