Lead Stories Korean - Entertainment

Fact Check: Jun Hyun Moo Did Not Visit President Yoon Suk Yeol At The Seoul Detention Center

2025-04-01T08:23:43Z

Did Jun Hyun Moo visit President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Seoul Detention Center? No, that's not true: There was no evidence of Jun Hyun Moo visiting the Seoul Detention Center or meeting President Yoon.

The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) on February 26, 2025. The caption in the video reads, translated from Korean into English by Lead Stories staff:

Jun Hyun Moo visited President Yoon Suk Yeol at the Seoul Detention Center. He urgently visited the detention center to meet President Yoon.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Mar 7 01:23:43 2025 UTC)

A similar TikTok video (archived here) also claimed Jun Hyun Moo postponed filming the "I Live Alone" show to attend President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial as an observer. The caption in the video reads, translated from Korean into English by Lead Stories staff:

Jun Hyun Moo made a surprise appearance at President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial.
He postponed filming "I Live Alone" to attend the trial as an observer. Jun took an oath and watched the entire proceedings from start to finish. Representing a civic group, he reportedly declared his support for President Yoon's swift reinstatement. Following previous public statements from celebrities like Lim Young Woong, Park Na Rae, and Jang Yoon Jung, Jun also read a political declaration in the courtroom.

Upon hearing Jun's remarks, President Yoon expressed deep gratitude, stating that he was thankful for Jun's efforts in coming to the courtroom to help save the country. He added that thanks to Jun, he was able to carry on. During his final argument, President Yoon emphasized that he had tirelessly worked to protect and save the nation, and he sincerely appreciated the numerous top celebrities who participated in the political declaration. He further stated that South Korea remains strong because of the countless citizens, including Jun, who have stepped up to defend it. Without them, he claimed, he would not have made it this far, and he issued a nationwide message of appreciation.

Jun's loyalty has drawn widespread praise from netizens, and conservatives have expressed their deep appreciation, believing that thanks to Jun, the judges will be able to make the right decision. Some supporters even stated that Jun's courtroom presence was a crucial factor. Jun reportedly declared that he was willing to leave "I Live Alone" if necessary to participate in President Yoon's political declaration.

Jun Hyun Moo (archived here) is an entertainer and a long-time television personality host. He is currently part of hosting the show "I Live Alone," which airs every Friday. The show "I Live Alone" (archived here), which MBC broadcasts, did not have any special announcements regarding a postponement of the show in the past few months. Additionally, there were no official statements from Jun on his social media (archived here).

Also, Chosun News (archived here) stated that the Seoul Detention Center only allowed one general visit a day for President Yoon. Multiple news outlets have reported on individuals who visited President Yoon during his stay at the detention center (archived here). The Seoul Detention Center also had no official statements on its website under the press release section, which has not been updated since November 2024 (archived here).

On January 31, 2025, the senior staff (archived here), including the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, Hong Chul Ho, visited President Yoon. Later, on February 3, 2025, three prominent political figures met with President Yoon: People Power Party's emergency response chairman Kwon Young Se, Floor Leader Kwon Seong Dong, and Na Kyung Won.

Due to President Yoon's visitation limits at the detention center, only a majority of People Power Party lawmakers could meet him. This included People Power Party lawmakers Yoon Sang Hyun and Kim Min Jeon (archived here), who visited President Yoon on February 7, 2025. Five lawmakers (archived here), including People Power Party Kim Ki Hyun and former Floor Leader Choo Kyung Ho, visited the detention center on February 10, 2025.

There were no relevant Google search results (archived here) for "Jun Hyun Moo" and "Yoon Seok Yeol." The most recent news related to Jun was about dating rumors (archived here) with KBS announcer Hong Joo Yeon, who is 20 years younger than him.

Fact Check: Jang Yoon-jeong Did NOT Say She Supports Yoon Suk-yeol

2025-03-31T06:04:47Z

Did Trot singer Jang Yoon-jeong say she supports Yoon Suk-yeol? No, that's not true: She did not mention Yoon Suk-yeol or any related issue on her social media.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok on February 20, 2025, under the title "#뉴스 #정치 #윤석열" translated from Korean into English by Lead Stories staff as "#news #politics #YoonSukyeol. It opened:

Jang Yoon-jeong officially stated that she supports president Yoon Suk-yeol.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Feb 24 06:04:47 2025 UTC)

Jang Yoon-jeong did not release any official statement related to the ongoing impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol. There was no relevant news on the official website (archived here) of Jang's management company. According to a Google News Index search (archived here) conducted by Lead Stories staff on February 24, 2025, with the keywords 'Jang Yoon-jeong AND Yoon Suk-yeol', no news report from local press media implicates her support.

There was also no related post or video on Jang's Instagram (archived here) and YouTube; these are the only two social media accounts she has.

Jang Yoon-jeong is a famous Trot singer in South Korea. Trot is a South Korean music genre influenced by Japanese Enka and Korean folk music. Since most Trot music listeners are elderly people (archived here) who tend to be relatively more conservative, this claim has been shared among elderly Yoon supporters on various platforms, mainly on TikTok and YouTube (archived here).

Fact Check: K-Pop Group BLACKPINK Member Jennie Was NOT Replaced By Soloist Rosalía

2024-08-20T00:53:36Z

Did YG Entertainment release a statement regarding K-Pop Group BLACKPINK member Jennie officially leaving the group and being replaced with a new soloist, Rosalia? No, that's not true: The agency, which manages the band as a group, has not released any statement regarding BLACKPINK member Jennie's departure.

The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) published on June 29, 2024, with the caption: "#blackpink #blink #rosé #jennie #lisa #jisoo." The text in the video post reads, in English:

Hello this is YG entertainment. We regret to inform you that JENNIE from BLACKPINK has officially left the group. We have gone over a lot of discussions and meetings and have decided that the SOLOIST, ROSALIA will replace her in the group. We apologise to all BLINKS and JENNIE fans that have loved her over the years. This was a decision made by JENNIE herself and the company. Thank you to all BLINKS and we hope all of you support ROSE, LISA, JISOO and the newest member ROSALIA in their new journey. We will do our outmost to support BLACKPINK and we thank JENNIE for staying with us during all of these years.

BLINK, referred to in the text above, is the official fandom name for BLACKPINK, which merges "bl" from "black" and "ink" from "pink," archived here.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Jul 12 16:41:05 2024 UTC)

There is no evidence of YG Entertainment announcing Jennie's departure from BLACKPINK, as the most recent press release (archived here) concerning BLACKPINK was posted on July 22, 2024, and announced a new tour for the band in 2025. It reads, in English:

Chief Producer Yang hinted, '2025 will be a year when many artists will be active simultaneously,' and noted, 'It is the year when BLACKPINK's comeback and world tour will begin.'

BLACKPINK's most recent activity as a group was the "Born Pink: World Tour," which ran from October 15, 2022, to September 17, 2023 (archived here). Since then, BLACKPINK members have pursued individual activities, as Lisa launched her own management company LLOUD. Jennie also launched a new label and company ODD ATELIER, while Jisoo also launched a personal label BLISSOO.

Rosalía is a Spanish singer who performed at Coachella 2023 (archived here). BLACKPINK headlined at the festival on Saturday night, April 22, 2023. During the festival, Rosalía posted on Instagram a picture of her and BLACKPINK member Lisa together at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles on April 20, 2023.

(Source: Instagram screenshot taken on Thu Aug 15 10:30:56 2024 UTC)

In September 2023, Rosalía was seen attending Lisa's performance at the Crazy Horse Cabaret in Paris (archived here).

As Rosalía and Lisa's friendship garnered more attention from fans since their encounter at Coachella 2023, Lisa also mentioned in her 27th "Special Birthday Q&A with Lisa" (archived here) that her dream collaborators were Rosalía and South African artist Tyla on March 26, 2024. This started to spark rumors among fans that Lisa's solo comeback may include a collaboration with Rosalía (archived here and here).

BLACKPINK Lisa released a new solo single 'Rockstar,' (archived here) on June 27, 2024. Rumors of Lisa's solo comeback, including a collaboration with Rosalía, became true (archived here) on August 15, 2024, as Lisa released a new single titled "New Woman," (archived here) featuring Rosalía.

Fact Check: K-Pop Group TripleS Member Kim Na Kyoung Is NOT An Olympic Badminton Player And Did NOT Win Gold At The 2024 Paris Games

2024-08-05T13:42:13Z

Is K-Pop group tripleS member Kim Na Kyoung an Olympic badminton player who won the gold medal in the Paris 2024 Olympics? No, that's not true: There is no evidence on the official Olympics website to suggest that tripleS member Kim Na Kyoung competed in the Olympics as a badminton player, as she is not part of the national team.

The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) published on TikTok on July 28, 2024. The video had received over six million views and over 900,000 likes on TikTok at the time of writing. Several other TikTok videos (archived here and here and here) claimed that tripleS member Kim Na Kyoung won the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The caption of the video, in English, read:

This girl who plays badminton in the Olympics representing South Korea is so fine.

#nakyoung #kimnakyoung #olympics #kpop #triples #nakyoungtriples

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Aug 2 13:42:13 2024 UTC)

According to the official Olympics website (archived here), the South Korean badminton team consisted of four men and eight women at the Paris 2024 Games. The eight female players were An Se Young, Kim Ga Eun, Lee So Hee, Baek Ha Na, Kim So Young, Gong Hee Yong, Chae Yu Jeong, and Jeong Na Eun. An Se Young did win the gold medal in the women's badminton singles on August 5, 2024, beating He Bingjiao, from China (archived here). The Olympics website (archived here) also stated the South Korean badminton team won a silver medal in mixed doubles (Kim Won Ho and Jeong Na Eun) against the Chinese team (Zheng Si Wei and Huang Ya Qiong).

The Olympic uniform worn by tripleS member Kim Na Kyoung in the viral TikTok video was the official uniform (archived here) the Korean national team wore in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (archived here). The official uniform was to be worn at the opening and closing ceremonies at the Tokyo Olympics by the South Korean national team. Another tripleS member, Yoon Seo Yeon, was seen wearing the same uniform at a fan sign meeting event (archived here) on July 21, 2024.

This is what Yoon was seen wearing on YouTube (archived here):

(Source: YouTube screenshot taken on Fri Aug 2 14:27:44 2024 UTC)

Although tripleS members do not have individual social media accounts, the official tripleS account (archived here) on X (formerly known as Twitter) also did not make any announcements concerning their fellow members, Kim Na Kyoung or Yoon Seo Yeon, competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics as badminton players.

Fact Check: GFRIEND's Disbandment And Hand Sign In ILLIT's Song Are NO Evidence HYBE Is Related To Cult

2024-06-05T07:11:02Z

Did multinational entertainment company HYBE disband GFRIEND, a girl pop group, on a specific date with a particular meaning - May 1, 2021, - and is this proof, along with other signs in songs of other HYBE artists such as ILLIT, that they are related to a cult called 'Dahn World'? No, that's not true: GFRIEND was not disbanded on that date, and certain moves in a song by ILLIT don't prove the alleged association with the above-mentioned cult.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published on TikTok, on April 28, 2024, under the title "지금 난리난 하이브 사이비썰" or "It has gone viral now; HYBE is a cult," as translated into English from Korean by Lead Stories staff. It opened, as translated:

There is f**king terrifying story about HYBE.
GFRIEND's album name = Walpurgis Night
Walpurgis Night = The day burning the witch
GFRIEND disbanded on May 1
LE SSERAFIM debut May 2
They burnt (disbanded) the witch and serrafim (angel) debuted the next day

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri May 10 03:04:56 2024 UTC)

The video claims that the former HYBE girl group GFRIEND was disbanded on May 1, a symbolic date that, according to the poster, has a religious meaning. The rumored claim related to some alleged cult to which HYBE artists would belong to, is reiterated by another TikTok video (archived here) claiming that a hand sign in the song Magnetic of HYBE artists ILLIT shows they are part of the Dahn World cult.

However, both claims are false. GFRIEND's disbandment was announced on May 18, 2021 (archived here and here) and it happened on May 23, 2021. Plus, the alleged "suspicious" hand sign in ILLIT's song Magnetic is a common hand sign used in heavy metal.

GFRIEND's disbandment was an unexpected event for all the K-Pop fans. At that point, GFRIEND was one of the most popular K-pop bands in South Korea, but their label, Source Music, a member label of HYBE family, suddenly announced the termination of their contract. It is standard for K-pop artists and their music labels to establish a seven-year-long contract when they debut. It is a big issue for fans whether individual members of a boy band or a girl group renew the team contract or not. Due to this reason, when the contract is about to end, negotiations between the artists and the label are covered extensively by the press. However, in GFRIEND's case, the termination of the contract was announced just five days before, leaving fans shocked (archived here), and considering it a mystery.

After Source Music released their new girl group 'LE SSERAFIM' on May 2, 2022, the fans concluded the disbanding was for the new project, LE SSERAFIM. However, conspiracy theories started to circulate, also because of reports of internal problems within HYBE. The biggest music management company in South Korea is currently in conflict with Min Hee-jin, a legendary music producer and current CEO of the HYBE Label ADOR, for an alleged attempt to usurp management rights, according to The Korea Herald (archived here). As the internal conflict heated, the conspiracy theory against HYBE went viral: Rumors started to circulate (archived here) that HYBE is allegedly owned by Dahn World believers (archived here), and that several cult signs were allegedly sneaked into HYBE artists' music and performance.

In this context, the claim 'HYBE disbanded GFRIEND for the LE SSERAFIM because of the cult' also went viral. As the TikTok video claimed, GFRIEND's last album was '回:Walpurgis Night' (archived here). The video claims 'Walpurgis night' means 'the night of the burning of the witch' and in this case, GFRIEND was disbanded like a witch is burnt on Walpurgis night. Since traditionally, the Walpurgis night is April 30, the video claims this is clearly related to the cult. However, besides the fact that GFRIEND was disbanded on a different date, Walpurgis night itself is not a witch hunt event per se. According to Britannica (archived here):

Walpurgis Night, a traditional holiday celebrated on April 30 in northern Europe and Scandinavia. In Sweden typical holiday activities include the singing of traditional spring folk songs and the lighting of bonfires. In Germany the holiday is celebrated by dressing in costumes, playing pranks on people, and creating loud noises meant to keep evil at bay.

Dahn World is a South Korean meditation enterprise, with 280 local meditation centers (archived here) nationwide. They promote non-religious meditation for better physical and mental health. Dahn World has been developing and spreading its unique 'meditation gymnastics' as a part of a healthy lifestyle. Even though multiple religious studies (archived here, here, and here) labeled Dahn World as a 'new religion' or 'religious group,' such studies also point Dahn World has no cult characteristics. Dahn World identifies itself as an enterprise. In the statement posted on its website on May 2, 2024, Dahn World said, translated from Korean by Lead Stories staff:

Dahn World is a health education enterprise, established in 1985, based on humanitarian ideals and has been developed for modern people Korean meditation - 'K-meditation' - using the scientific and academic measures, not a religious group.

K-meditation is not a religious ritual, it is scientific physical, mental, brain health training program for everyone.

The other sub-claim related to HYBE's newly debuted band 'ILLIT' went viral as well. Their hit song, Magnetic, is famous for the iconic hand sign; making hand horns with both hands. A second TikTok video, already mentioned above, claims these a part of the song's dance move originate from Dahn World's meditation gymnastics:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue May 21 03:01:14 2024 UTC)

However, the hand sign image is completely unrelated to Dahn World; A Google Lens search (archived here) conducted by Lead Stories on May 21, 2024, shows the image has been repeatedly shared as a heavy metal hand sign, mainly on social media posts related to the metal music.

The video also claims that there is another Dahn World-originated dance move in ILLIT's other song, 'Lucky Girl Syndrome':

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue May 21 03:01:14 2024 UTC)

The image, with the man putting his hands on his head, actually can be related to Dahn World's meditation gymnastics. In an online article by 'K-spirit' (archived here) about 'meditation gymnastics good for headache,' the author describes the image as from the Dahn World method.

Addressing claims on alleged HYBE and Dahn World's ties, Dahn World stated that they are not a cult and not related to HYBE (archived here and here), on its official YouTube channel (archived here) on May 3 and May 4, 2024, as translated from Korean by Lead Stories staff:

Dahn World Corporation clearly state the claim is not based on facts, and we are planning strong legal action against spreading misinformation and slander, causing economic loss for the corporation.

The false accusation of Dahn World being a cult is ridiculous, from a tiny number of ignorant people who are denying (Korean) national spirit, falling for wrong beliefs, claiming their own religion is the only truth.

While HYBE did not release any statement at a company level, Big Hit Music, the first label of the HYBE family, also denied the claim. In an announcement (archived here), posted on May 2, 2024, on their fan community Weverse, in Korean and English, they state:

We would like to clarify that the recent allegations [...] of affiliations with Dahn World or any religious cults are completely false.

Fact Check: Player Lee Kang-in Has NOT Been Permanently Excluded From The South Korean National Football Team As Of March 1, 2024

2024-03-01T01:52:21Z

Was football player Lee Kang-in permanently excluded from the South Korean national football team following an altercation with the team captain and a surprising loss in the 2023 Asian Cup semi-finals? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, the Korea Football Association (KFA) and the acting head coach of the national team had not issued any such announcement and had refrained from commenting on Lee's future.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here), published by @user4826967320435 on TikTok, on February 23, 2024, with a caption translated into English from Korean by Lead Stories staff that reads:

At the end of the day, Lee Kang-in is permanently excluded from national football team.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Mar 1 01:52:21 2024 UTC)

Following a February 13, 2024 report in the British tabloid The Sun (archived here) about an altercation dubbed 'Ping Pong Ding Dong' involving Lee and team captain Son Heung-min, Lee has faced a public backlash in South Korea for what fans believe was his role in damaging team cohesion ahead of a surprising loss to Jordan in the AFC Asian Cup semi-final, on February 6, 2024. According to press accounts (archived here and here) and an anonymous KFA official, Lee became involved in an altercation when Son told him to return to a team dinner which he and several other players had quickly left to play ping pong.

Despite Lee's public apology to fans and Son Heung-min, (archived here and here), who dislocated his finger in the altercation, angry fans continue to criticize Lee, and some fans (archived here and here) have petitioned the Korea Sports and Olympic Committee (archived here) to permanently exclude Lee from the national team roster. As a consequence, a great deal of attention remains on whether Lee will be included in the team's roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualification rounds, expected to be announced on March 11, 2024 (archived here).

In this context, the claim that Lee has been permanently excluded from the national team has been shared multiple times on TikTok and YouTube, for example here, here, and here (archived here, here, and here).

However, as of March 1, 2024, there had been no official statement or comment from the KFA (archived here) regarding the player. Nor had there been comments about it from national team acting head coach Hwang Sun-hong (archived here). In an interview with South Korea's MBC channel (archived here) posted on February 27, 2024, Hwang spoke in general terms about the team and made no mention of a decision to remove Lee.

Multiple local press accounts (archived here and here) consider the matter unresolved leading to speculation about Lee's future role. A Google News search in Korean and in English, (archived here and here) conducted on March 1, 2024, with the keywords: Lee Kang-in AND national team AND "banned" OR "excluded" did not return any results that could corroborate the claim.

Lead Stories has previously fact-checked another claim on Lee Kang-in allegedly being kicked out of his club, PSG, here.

Fact Check: Football Player Lee Kang-in Was NOT Kicked Out Of PSG After Asian Cup Defeat

2024-02-29T11:23:47Z

Did Paris Saint-Germain decide to kick out South Korean footballer Lee Kang-in after South Korea lost to Jordan in the Asian Cup semi-final on February 6, 2024? No, that's not true: At the time of writing, no official announcement had been made and Lee was still on the club's official website, listed among the players.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @shortform.kr (archived here) on February 22, 2024, under the title (translated from Korean into English by Lead Stories staff) "Paris Saint-Germain's emergency announcement! Lee Kang-in is screwed." It opened (as translated):

Breaking news! Lee Kang-in will be fired. Amazing breaking news, Lee is kicked out by his club Paris Saint-Germain.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Feb 29 02:44:47 2024 UTC)

No official press release or communication on Lee being fired has been issued by the Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that the South Korean footballer plays for as a midfielder. The claim first originated from a YouTube video posted on February 18, 2024. Similar claims have been repeatedly shared on TikTok, here, here, here and here (archived here, here, here and here).

Lee was blamed by upset fans after the AFC Asian Cup. He allegedly got into a fight with another key player, Son Heung-min, right before the semi-final match. After Korea's shocking defeat against Jordan on February 6, 2024, The Sun (archived here) reported on February 13, 2024, that there had been a fight between the two key men, which had been critical to Korea's playing performance. Angry Korean football fans started to blame Lee. In this context, the false claim was shared on TikTok and went viral.

However, no official announcement (archived here) from PSG confirms the claim. Lee is still on PSG's players' list on the website (archived here and here). On February 19, 2024, PSG celebrated Lee's birthday on its official website and Instagram account (archived here and here).

A Google News search (archived here) on February 29, 2024, with the keywords PSG AND Lee Kang-in AND "fired" OR "kicked out," did not return any results that could corroborate the claim.

Moreover, multiple local media outlets (archived here, here and here) have warned about the spread of the false claim on social media.

Fact Check: Late Actor Lee Sun-kyun's Estate NOT Penalized 10 Billion Won For Breach Of Contract

2024-01-22T12:56:45Z

Does the estate of the late International star South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun face a penalty fee for canceled advertisement contracts, due to alleged drug use, that is estimated to reach 10 billion won ($7.5 million)? No, that's not true: The agency representing the late actor filed a complaint citing a report on Korean news outlet TV Chosun, which initially stated Lee's penalty amount as 10 billion won, and was subsequently removed. An investigation of the actor's death continues and no legal decisions have been made concerning the actor's estate.

The claim originated from a video (archived here) published on TikTok by @josipang1818 on November 6, 2023, with a caption, translated into English from Korean by Lead Stories staff, that reads:

The advertising industry generally requires a penalty fee for breach of contract that is two to three times the original amount of the contract. As news of Lee Sun-kyun's alleged drug use was revealed, advertising companies who employed Lee as a model are on high alert.

In the case of (Korean actor) Yoo Ah-in, who tested positive for four different drugs, he was expected to pay more than 10 billion won. Lee Sun-kyun's penalty is also estimated to reach 10 billion won, like Yoo Ah-in.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri Jan 5 16:56:45 2024 UTC)

The claim about the penalty fee linked the case of the late actor to a case involving another South Korean actor, Yoo Ah-in (archived here), who appeared in court on December 12, 2023, for a first hearing over his alleged drug use. Lee Sun-kyun's penalty fee story was reported by TV Chosun as a piece of "exclusive" news that revealed the estimated penalty amount and it appears to be based on speculation since there are no legal proceedings underway involving Lee's estate and his former advertisers.

A search for the original TV Chosun report shows no results after it was removed (archived here) on January 4, 2024, following a threat of legal actions against the channel by Lee's agency Hodu & U Entertainment. The agency posted a statement on Instagram stating that the penalty claim was false on January 3, 2024.

This is what the post looked like on Instagram (archived here) at the time of writing:

(Source: Instagram screenshot taken on Fri Jan 5 16:59:12 2024 UTC)

The post in Korean, translated by Lead Stories staff, reads:

Recently, we have recognized that rumors and false facts about our actor are spreading. We have started collecting related data and decided to take legal action simultaneously. In the future, we will firmly deal with all situations in which false information is spread.

In addition, we are profoundly sorry about the malicious and indiscriminate reporting of the late actor Lee Sun-kyun in some media outlets over the past three months.

We hoped that the truth would be revealed through a fair police investigation in the end, but we can no longer expect it, so we would like to correct the facts one by one.

Neither party has provided further comment on the report of a possible penalty since a legal proceeding is underway on the action brought against TV Chosun by the late actor's agency.

The death of Lee Sun-kyun remains under investigation (archived here) and the amount of a possible penalty has not been decided.

Fact Check: Samsung Has NOT Launched A See-Through Phone

2024-01-01T17:06:00Z

Does a video on TikTok show Samsung's new transparent phone that looks like glass? No, that's not true: There is no evidence that Samsung has already launched a transparent phone.

The claim originated from a video (archived here) published on TikTok by @usera25dy6tjjn on June 7, 2023. The caption in Korean, translated by Lead Stories staff, says:

Samsung made a transparent phone that looks like glass.

It's only 5 mm thick and very durable. It's a single-sided touch, and the display can be used on both sides.

There is no charging port, so the phone uses wireless charging.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Dec 19 16:33:08 2023 UTC)

The footage went viral on TikTok with a specific video (archived here) posted on February 10, 2020, by @luckky.111 reaching more than 20 million views at the time of writing. Another TikTok video (archived here) published by @factsddragon on June 22, 2023, had reached over 7.6 million views at the time of writing. The caption of this video claims that the Samsung Galaxy Transparent 6G is expected to be launched in 2027. Other videos with the same footage claimed that the see-through phone is the new Samsung S25 Ultra model, for example here (archived here).

According to the official Samsung website, the latest Samsung Galaxy S series up to this point is the Samsung Galaxy S23, which was released on February 17, 2023. Forbes published an article (archived here) on December 9, 2023, stating that the next Samsung Galaxy S series will be launched in 2024 with the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.

However, Samsung filed a patent in the United States (archived here) in August 2020 that describes the technology for manufacturing a transparent smartphone. The technical websites Concept Phones (archived here) and Phone Arena (archived here) have published articles about it.

Lead Stories performed a reverse Google image search (archived here) using key frames from the TikTok video, which led to the link Adobe After Effect's Tips and Tricks website (archived here) posted on February 23, 2021. The Adobe video was originally published on YouTube (archived here) by @VFXStudioKoliba on April 21, 2019, with the title "how to create transparent phone | after effects VFX tutorial." It shows how to use the Adobe app after effects to create the effect of a transparent display, which does not mean that the smartphone is a completely transparent phone.

Wired published an article on February 19, 2013, (archived here) about a transparent smartphone prototype without any software by Taiwanese company Polytron Technologies that the YouTube account @basicthinkingtv reviewed (archived here).

Lead Stories did a search on the Korean search platform Naver (archived here) with the words "삼성 갤럭시 S25 울트라" (Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra). No result supported the claim that a new transparent Galaxy S25 was released.

Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show Giant Statues At The Bottom Of The Ocean

2024-01-01T16:45:00Z

Does this video show giant statues at the bottom of the ocean? No, that's not true: The footage is a 3D animation originally from an Instagram post. The creator of that post has a bio that says, "I bring nightmares to life with 3D animation!"

The claim originated from a video (archived here) published on TikTok by @kiraku_japan on July 23, 2023. The caption in Korean on the video, as translated by Lead Stories staff, reads:

Real footage.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Dec 5 18:50:12 2023 UTC)

The footage originally is from an Instagram post (archived here) by @lights.are.off, with a caption that reads:

Keepers of the deep.
#thalassophobia #megalophobia #reels

This is what the post looked like on Instagram at the time of writing:

(Source: Instagram screenshot taken on Tue Dec 5 18:52:38 2023 UTC)

The Instagram post received over 1 million likes, and the creator @lights.are.off has 1.8 million followers with a bio that reads:

Video creator
I bring nightmares to life with 3D animation!

Fact Check: There Is NO Official List Of 29 Countries Voting For Busan To Host 2030 World Expo

2023-12-28T11:53:00Z

Is there a public list of 29 countries that voted for the South Korean city of Busan to host the World Expo in 2030? No, that's not true: The member states of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) voted anonymously and chose Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to host the World Expo 2030.

The claim appeared in post on Instagram (archived here) where it was published by @sanggeun5245 on November 29, 2023. It opened in Korean translated by Lead Stories staff:

World Expo... these are the 29 countries which voted for us:
Greece, The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain,
Iceland, Austria, Ukraine, Israel, United Kingdom, France, Poland, Turkey, United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentine, Uruguay, Gambia, Japan, Austraila, New Zealand, Singapore and Republic of Korea

This is what the post looked like at the time of writing:

(Source: Instagram screenshot taken on Tue Dec 19 04:44:09 2023 UTC)

This claim is false, as the Bureau International des Expositions uses a secret voting system. The BIE explains on its website:

Eligible and present Member States, represented by government-appointed delegates, elected the host country in a secret ballot using electronic voting, on the principle of one country, one vote. Securing 119 votes in the first round, Saudi Arabia was elected outright, as it received the two-thirds majority required.

Busan in South Korea was in second place with just 29 votes. South Korean President Yoon Seok-Yeol has publicly apologized for the failure of the Expo bid. Amid national disappointment over the result, some Koreans began circulating an alleged "list of our true friends". But three countries on this list - Australia, Canada and Singapore -- are not even members of BIE.

Fact Check: Video Does NOT Show North Korea's Most Luxurious Hotel

2023-12-10T08:49:42Z

Does the first picture in this video show the most opulent hotel in North Korea? No, that's not true: The first image actually features a traveler's snapshot of the Sanwa Hotel in Japan, showing a compact room with a small bed and an old television placed on top of a shelf along the wall.

The claim originated from a video (archived here) on TikTok by @know_everything_ on October 1, 2023. The caption read (translated from Korean to English by Lead Stories staff):

Shocking view of North Korea's most luxurious hotel.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Dec 4 15:51:42 2023 UTC)

A Korean blog post (archived here) included the same photo titled (as translated):

Shocking Japanese hotel

11,000 won per night
15,000 won if you have a TV
Hotel Key -> Scissors

This is what the photo looked like on the blog at the time of writing:

(Source: Daum screenshot taken on Mon Dec 4 15:53:19 2023 UTC)

The blog post also included a YouTube link where the Korean user @captainbrother traveled to Japan and vlogged his experience at the Sanwa Hotel. The YouTube video is titled (as translated) "Japan's Worst Hotel with the Lowest Google Ratings," with the description:

This hotel is the Sanwa Hotel, famous for being the worst hotel in Japan among the overseas travel community.

This is what the footage looked like at the time of writing:

(Source: YouTube screenshot taken on Mon Dec 4 15:57:36 2023 UTC)

Another YouTube traveler by the name of @godh1k1 posted a video titled (as translated):

Small hotel room narrower than a prison cell for 10,000 won per night.

This is what the video looked like at the time of writing:

(Source: YouTube screenshot taken on Mon Dec 4 15:58:54 2023 UTC)

The Sanwa Hotel is located in Kobe, Japan. The hotel had a 1.9 rating (archived here) with 28 Google reviews at the time of writing.

Fact Check: Clip Does NOT Show Hamas And Israeli Soldiers Fighting

2023-11-30T19:52:46Z

Does a video show a Hamas soldier hitting an Israeli soldier who was allegedly shooting at children? No, that's not true: The footage stems from a video game and is not an authentic video of soldiers fighting.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by @beomeeya4 on Nov. 22, 2023 under the Korean title "어린이들한테 총쏘는 이스라엘군 패는 하마스?? 정신차려 이 미친 새끼야!" As translated by Lead Stories staff:

Hamas beating an Israeli soldier who was shooting at children?? Come to your senses, you crazy bastard!

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Nov 29 00:32:46 2023 UTC)

The TikTok clip shows two men in combat gear. One man hits the other individual, who then falls on the ground. The video does not show authentic footage of a Hamas and Israeli soldier, however.

The watermark @austin_but_yes leads to another TikTok video shared by the same username on Nov. 18, 2023. Some of the English text visible behind the Korean text in the first TikTok video is seen in the second video, which was shared as a meme about couples, as seen in the screenshot below:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Nov 29 00:32:46 2023 UTC)

The moment the individual on the right gets hit (around the 0:05 timestamp), "+175 XP FINISHING MOVE" in yellow is visible on the screen, indicating the clip stems from a video game.

Some users in the comments pointed to the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III video game, developed by Infinity Ward, Treyarch, and Sledgehammer Games and published by Activision. The game was released on Nov. 10, 2023.

A "finishing move" is a player mechanic in the Modern Warfare III game, as well as other games of the Call of Duty series.

The same "+175 XP FINISHING MOVE" in yellow can be seen in multiple user-uploaded gameplay footage on YouTube, all captioned as showing a "finishing move" in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

A spokesperson for Activision did not immediately respond to Lead Stories' request for comment.

Fact Check: K-Pop Group BLACKPINK Did NOT Announce Disbandment

2023-09-29T19:20:34Z

Did K-pop group BLACKPINK disband as of September 26, 2023? No, that's not true: Despite reports of one member rejecting a contract renewal offer, the group or the record label have not made any announcement on their disbandment.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published by @bored._.af9 on TikTok on September 17, 2023, with the following caption, translated from Korean to English by Lead Stories staff: "They got me int [sic] kpop #disbanding #Blink #Blackpink."

The text on the video, in English, reads:

BLACKPINK is disbanding today.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Sep 20 00:17:34 2023 UTC)

There is no evidence that BLACKPINK disbanded, however. The group's social media accounts have been active as of September 26, 2023, with no mention of disbandment or of a hiatus. The Instagram accounts for members Rosé, Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa also do not mention disbanding, and the group's management label, YG Entertainment (YG), did not publish any announcement on its official website.

K-pop groups usually have seven-year contracts due to standards set by the Fair Trade Commission and often disband after the term is completed - sometimes this is referred to as the "seven-year jinx." BLACKPINK debuted on August 8, 2016, and is reportedly discussing contract renewals with YG in 2023.

Speculations that Thailand-born member Lisa was facing issues with contract negotiations started circulating in July. She has since reportedly rejected two offers from YG worth 50 billion South Korean won, or about $37.6 million, according to a September 14, 2023, Star News article.

On September 15, 2023, an entertainment news outlet, TVReport, cited a YG spokesperson as saying:

Contract renewal discussions with Lisa are ongoing. The rumor has not been confirmed.

(Translation from Korean to English by Lead Stories staff).

Following Lisa's rumored offer rejections, reports of YG's shares falling on September 15, 2023, its largest one-day drop in nearly a year, were picked up by U.S. business news outlet CNBC.

BLACKPINK completed its "Born Pink" world tour on September 17, 2023, and there are no upcoming events listed on the group's website.

On September 21, 2023, reports of Rosé being the only member to renew her contract were followed on September 25, 2023, by additional reports of members Jisoo and Jennie setting up their own agencies. Both claims were denied by YG, according to The Korea Daily and Korea Times, noting that nothing has been confirmed regarding BLACKPINK's contract renewal as well as the group's future activities.

Fact Check: Liverpool Manager Did NOT Mention Asian Athletes Or Countries In Interviews

2023-08-24T19:26:07Z

Did Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp speak about Korean, Chinese and Japanese players, as well as their respective native countries in three separate interviews? No, that's not true: The Korean subtitles added to the videos are mistranslated and do not match the English audio.

The interview clips, from 2018, 2022 and 2023, do not include any mention of the Asian athletes and countries. The questions from reporters, along with Klopp's answers, in Korean subtitles have been fabricated.

VIDEO #1

The first video appeared on TikTok (archived here) published by @user_nowstop on July 17, 2023 with the caption "'김민짜이'는 중국 선수 중국기자의 망언에 분노하는 클롭 감독," or "Manager Klopp getting angry at Chinese reporter's absurd remarks that 'Kim Min-zai' (Chinese pronunciation) is a Chinese player," as translated by Lead Stories staff.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Aug 21 22:26:07 2023 UTC)

Kim Min-jae is a South Korean, not Chinese, professional football player who signed with FC Bayern Munich in July.

The Korean subtitles claim a Chinese reporter asked Klopp his thoughts on Kim, with the implication that Klopp was angered by the reporter failing to recognize that Kim is a Korean player.

The subtitles quote Klopp as responding, "I know what answer you want from me, but as I keep telling you, stop lying," as translated by Lead Stories staff.

Klopp is also quoted as saying:

My anger is a natural reaction... If this, that, everything is Chinese, then am I Chinese too? I can't understand it at all. Please stop making up stories... you look upset because I hit you with facts, don't make me the bad guy.

However, the same clip (without Korean subtitles) can be seen in a February 2018 video on YouTube following a match between Liverpool and Tottenham. The exchange can be seen starting around the 9:30 timestamp, after the English-speaking reporter begins to ask whether the opposing team tried to cause a problem.

Klopp interrupts, saying at the 9:45 timestamp:

Look, I really don't - I really don't like this. I know exactly what you wanna do. I said what I said, do with it what you want. Nothing to clarify...it's a normal reaction I said... ball is in the air, players go down, that's how it is. But you don't give a penalty in a situation like that. Make a story about that.

Notably, the TikTok video included a disclaimer in English at the bottom: "Beware! Fake News!" There are no disclaimers in the following two videos.

VIDEO #2

The second video appeared on TikTok (archived here) published by user @smile_yeosin on Aug. 9, 2023 with the caption "손흥민 결국 사우디 가죠 일본기자 질문에 리버풀 클롭 감독 반응 ㄷㄷ" or "Manager Klopp's reaction when Japanese reporter asks about Son Heung-min going to Saudi Arabia," as translated by Lead Stories staff.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Aug 21 22:26:07 2023 UTC)

Son Heung-min, a South Korean, is a Tottenham Hotspur forward who was reported as saying he will stay with Tottenham despite an offer from the Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad.

The Korean subtitles cite the reporter as noting that Son said he would sign with the Saudi league for money, while "our Japanese player Mitoma thinks of honor before money." Kaoru Mitoma is a Japanese football player with Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.

The subtitles quote the reporter as asking:

I think it's certain that Mitoma has surpassed Sonny (Son Heung-min). What do you think, Mr. Klopp?

Klopp's response according to the Korean subtitles, as translated by Lead Stories staff:

Is that the kind of question you're asking? What answer do you want? Why the hell does your country always ask me those types of questions... Do you think I would know a player like Mitoma from your country? I don't... Why does your country (Japan) always slander players from other countries? (Mitoma) did not even receive an offer from Saudi, so what does it matter whether Sonny goes to Saudi or not? And it's just a stupid question, even on second thought. I won't even bother with a country like Japan again.

However, the exchange is also visible in a September 2022 video on YouTube, after an Italian, not Japanese, journalist posed a question on safety in Naples:

Liverpool's social media accounts put out several messages telling the fans to be wary of the city, and I wondered whether that's been your experience, whether you'd like to try and calm the fans down or whether you consider it to be a welcoming city.

Klopp responded at the 0:20 timestamp:

That's an embarrassing question from you. You wanna create headlines, I really don't understand it... do you think it's a dangerous city? I don't know...now you ask me what I think about Napoli, you know exactly what people are talking about. If some supporters meet some supporters, something can happen. Nothing to do with the city, so I don't know. But I'm not here to create headlines for you.

VIDEO #3

The third video appeared on TikTok (archived here) published by user @doyouhaveanyquestions32 on Aug. 11, 2023 with the caption: "초전도체는 중국이 만들었다는 질문에 빡친 크롭 감독" or "Manager Klopp angered when asked about China creating superconductors," as translated by Lead Stories staff.

This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Mon Aug 21 22:26:07 2023 UTC)

The Korean subtitles claim a Chinese reporter asked:

China is far ahead of Korea, whether it be football or science. So it begs the question, would you consider signing our Chinese players?

The subtitles note Klopp was dumbfounded by the question before quoting him as responding:

Superconductors are the result of more than 6,000 experiments in Korea. Your country (China) wouldn't be able to conduct the experiments 5,999 times, yet you're saying all this?

He continues:

And what do you mean when you say that China is ahead of Sonny's Korea? Please. The whole world knows that superconductors were discovered in Korea, why does Korea keep fabricating facts?

Klopp's real response can be heard in a January 2023 clip on YouTube. He mentions the numbers "6,000" and "5,999," but not in the context of the Korean subtitles. The reporter asked about solving problems in the transfer market.

Klopp, frustrated by the question about Liverpool's transfer activity, responds at the 1:07 timestamp, referring to the reporter as "Carl":

Honestly Carl, I have I think, 6,000 press conferences at Liverpool. And you were pretty much part of 5,999. In different seats obviously, but you were always there... come on. Now I have to tell you again the money story? Really, do I have to tell it again?

A Jurgen Klopp representative did not respond to a request for comment.