Lead Stories Korean - Technology

Fact Check: Image Of Former President Yoon Suk Yeol Crying With First Lady Kim Kun Hee After Impeachment NOT Real

2025-05-05T07:15:06Z

Did former President Yoon Suk Yeol cry with former First Lady Kim Kun Hee when the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment motion against him? No, that's not true: The video is watermarked with "Kling AI 1.6," an AI-video generator. There was no evidence online to suggest that ex-President Yoon was crying when the Constitutional Court announced a unanimous decision to uphold the impeachment motion against him. Multiple news outlets reported that Yoon did not attend the trial in person when the Constitutional Court announced and watched the ruling from his official residence in Hannam-dong.

The claim appeared in a TikTok video (archived here) on April 4, 2025. The caption in the video reads, translated from Korean into English by Lead Stories staff:

I congratulate you on your dismissal. #YoonSukYeol #KimKunHee #Dismissal #President #ConstitutionalCourt

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

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Apr 9 01:15:06 2025 UTC)

A similar TikTok video (archived here) depicts an image of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol wearing an orange prison uniform, crying next to the former First Lady Kim Kun Hee, who also wears the same outfit.

Both depictions were AI-generated videos and photos. The footage was watermarked with Kling AI 1.6 (archived here), a text-to-video AI model developed by Kuaishou, a Chinese short-video platform. A political humor bulletin board (archived here), found through a reverse Google image search, shows that the image of Yoon crying in an orange prison uniform, with the user describing the prompt they used on ChatGPT or Sora (OpenAI's video generation model) (archived here) to generate the image.

On April 4, 2025, the Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment motion (archived here) against President Yoon Suk Yeol, removing him from office. Yoon was not present during the announcement. In an article (archived here) by the Hankyoreh, Yoon reportedly "did not express his intention to 'accept defeat' until the very end."Former President Yoon stayed at his presidential residence (archived here) in Hannam-dong for several days after the Constitutional Court's decision, as there are no specific written regulations on when an impeached president must vacate the official residence. Yoon left the official residence and returned to his private apartment (archived here) in Seoul on April 11, 2025.

The Office of the President of the Republic of Korea website (archived here) was under maintenance after former President Yoon's impeachment. The website is now available, but there have been a few changes since the maintenance, as press release statements are no longer accessible.

Fact Check: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Did NOT Make 'Confession Of Conscience' Video

2024-02-29T09:57:18Z

Did South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol make a "confession of conscience" video to the public? No, that's not true: The Korean government confirmed that the footage was edited, and police investigated the users who uploaded the doctored video.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) on TikTok by @gom0429 on February 22, 2024. The video is a 53-second recording entitled (translated from Korean to English by Lead Stories staff) "President Yoon Suk Yeol's Confession of Conscience Speech." The caption read (as translated):

To my fellow citizens, I, Yoon Suk Yeol, am a man who enforced laws that harassed the people. The incompetent and corrupt Yoon Suk Yeol government practiced special privileges, foul play, injustice, and corruption.

I ruined the Republic of Korea and made the people suffer by clinging to an ideology that deviated from common sense.

The Yoon Suk Yeol government claims to be for the common people, but its incompetence and corruption have driven the self-employed, small business owners, and the homeless people into despair.

In my Yoon Suk Yeol dictionary, there is political revenge but no livelihood for the people.

Thank you.

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

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Feb 27 16:13:57 2024 UTC)

The first version of the video appeared on TikTok on November 23, 2023, as reported by the local press quoting the investigation (archived here) on February 27, 2024. The People's Power Party reported the video to the police in February 2024 (archived here). The government asked the Korea Communications Standards Commission to delete and block the video, which it did on February 23, 2024 (archived here), making the original video untraceable.

Several accounts have republished it with the original title (as translated) "President Yun's Fictionalized Conscience Speech." The character "가상으로 꾸며본," which Lead Stories staff translates as "made virtually," already makes it clear that this is a fake video. It was constructed by the user splicing together different parts of an electoral campaign speech (archived here) held by the then-presidential candidate on February 23, 2022, as reported by the Seoul Metropolitan Police in February 2024 (archived here).

At a press conference (archived here) on February 26, 2024, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Cho Ji-ho, said (as translated):

'We have received an ID that appears to have uploaded a video. We are currently conducting a search and seizure [of the server of the company that issued the ID].'

The National Assembly recently passed the Public Official Election Act (archived here), banning deepfake or edited videos created with artificial intelligence for 90 days before election day. Article 82-8 (archived here) of the Public Official Election Act in Korean reads (as translated):

Article 82-8: Election campaigns using deepfake videos

No person shall produce, edit, distribute, screen, or post virtual sounds or images that are difficult to distinguish from the real ones, which are produced using artificial intelligence technology for election campaigns starting from 90 days before the election day.

Where a person produces, edits, distributes, displays, or publishes a deepfake video for an election campaign outside the period referred to in paragraph (1), that person shall display the relevant matters on the deepfake video as prescribed by the rules of the National Election Commission so that the relevant information can be clearly recognized as virtual information created by artificial intelligence technology.

According to the Maeil Business Newspaper, the violation is punishable by up to seven years in prison or a fine of 10 million to 50 million won ($7,482 to $37,420).

Fact Check: The National Election Commission CANNOT Track Voters Using QR Code On Ballots

2024-01-16T22:20:06Z

Does the National Election Commission (NEC) track voters using the QR code on the early voting ballots? No, that's not true: The QR code does not record any personal information on the voter, and cannot be used to determine how people vote.

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) published by @www.oung on TikTok, on December 10, 2023.

It stated, as translated from Korean to English by Lead Stories staff:

[...] The NEC tracked and found who voted on that ballot. Using only the QR code, they can track who voted, and who voted for whom; they confessed that they have violated the principle of the anonymous vote.

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

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Dec 28 11:11:13 2023 UTC)

The TikTok video shows an excerpt taken from a 47-minute long 'documentary' film on YouTube (archived here), claiming that the 2020 parliamentary election was rigged by the liberal government. However, the NEC has denied it officially, issuing press releases, other official content, and a YouTube video (archived here, here, here, and here). Lead Stories debunked the claim that the 2020 parliamentary election in South Korea was rigged here.

In South Korea's early voting ballots, a QR code is printed on the lower right corner. Since early voters can vote in any designated polling place nationwide, QR codes are used to verify where the counted ballots should be added: in other words, which constituency the ballot belongs to. The QR code does not store any personal data or information on the voter.

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: 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: Video Does NOT Show Cherenkov Radiation In Fukushima

2023-11-28T17:37:33Z

Does this video show Cherenkov light being emitted from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant at 10:29 a.m. on August 12, 2023? No, that's not true: No abnormalities were reported in the post-measurement results that day.

The claim originated in a video (archived here) published on TikTok by @kiraku_japan on August 12, 2023. The caption on the video (translated from Korean to English by Lead Stories staff) was:

Japan's actual situation.

The atmosphere around the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was full of light.

There is a possibility of Cherenkov radiation.

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

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Tue Nov 21 16:13:33 2023 UTC)

The footage went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, receiving over one million views. This is what the post looked like on X (archived here) at the time of writing:

(Source: X screenshot taken on Tue Nov 21 16:15:17 2023 UTC)

The text on the post reads (translated from Japanese to English by Lead Stories staff):

August 12, 2023 10:29 a.m.
The atmosphere around the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant emitted light.
Possibly Cherenkov light.

Cherenkov light, or Cherenkov radiation, is the phenomenon of a shockwave of light in a nuclear reactor, produced when electrically charged particles pass through a transparent medium like water. It was discovered by Russian physicist Pavel Cherenkov in 1934. Due to the high frequency and short wavelength of photons resulting from Cherenkov radiation, the light appears blue and violet to the human eye. Cherenkov light can be observed around materials that emit extremely strong radiation, such as pool reactors, a type of reactor with the core immersed in water.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) owns the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. According to TEPCO's post-measurement results on August 12, 2023, the level of millisieverts (mSv) was reported as normal throughout the day. Millisievert is an international unit of radiation dose representing the amount of radiation absorbed by the body.

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

(Source: TEPCO screenshot taken on Tue Nov 21 16:21:02 2023 UTC)

This is what the results looked like on TEPCO between 10:20 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. on August 12, 2023:

(Source: TEPCO screenshot taken on Tue Nov 21 16:21:49 2023 UTC)

As Cherenkov light requires an extremely high level of radiation, there is no evidence to show that the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant reported such radiation levels at 10:29 a.m. on August 12, 2023.

Fact Check: Massive Fish Death In Korea Is NOT Related To Fukushima Water

2023-09-29T19:31:05Z

Did 12 million farm fishes die on Korean south coast due to radioactive contamination? No, that's not true: The reason for the fish death was high water temperature.

The claim originated from a video (archived here) where it was published by @nangezaici on TikTok, on September 6, 2023 under the title "핵오염 배출 4000만톤, 생물들이 계속 패사", "40 million tons of radioactive material released, living beings are dying" (Translated from Korean by Lead Stories Staff). It opened:

1200 fish died of radioactivity contamination🤯

The TikToker made a spelling mistake by writing 1200 fish as he missed the Korean character '만' for ten thousand. But from the context of the video it is clear that he refers to the fish death of 12 million which occurred on Korea's south coast.

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

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Thu Sep 28 00:57:05 2023 UTC)

The author shows a news report about the recent massive death of farm fishes on southern coast of Korea, claiming it is due to Fukushima treated water discharge. In the in-video caption, the author said just "radioactive contamination", but mentioned Fukushima in the hashtag, implying that the "radioactive contamination" means Fukushima treated water.

However, the shared news report itself says the cause of the fish death was high water temperature, not radioactive water coming from Fukushima. The news report is originally from TV Chosun, a South Korean cable TV channel. In the report, the journalist explained that high water temperature above 28°C was the main cause of massive death of approximately 12 million fish. Moreover, other Korean news channels covering the incident also confirmed that the fish death was due to extremely high water temperature.

Fact Check: Chinese Scientist's Altered Human Embryo Experiment NOT A Path To Gene-Editing Future

2023-05-24T23:33:23Z

Did a Chinese scientist's experimental alteration of DNA in human embryos provide a successful model for future gene-editing applications? No, that's not true: The scientist was imprisoned for his illegal experiment, which was overwhelmingly condemned by peers in medical and scientific communities across the world

The claim appeared in a video (archived here) where it was published by @kimnolbullshxt on Tiktok on Feb 28 2023, under the title "The reason we are lucky to be born these days" (translated by Lead stories staff). The author says:

In China, they already successfully engineered and implanted anti-AIDS baby. What will happen when this technology is developed even further? Height, appearance, even intelligence will be able to be modified.

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

(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Fri May 12 01:22:23 2023 UTC)

The author implies the experiment provides gene-editing technology to produce custom-designed babies without consideration for significant social resistance to the idea, or ethical and safety issues related to it.

In 2016, He Jiankui, a researcher at Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, said he altered the DNA of embryos for a couple during fertility treatments, resulting in the birth of twins that would be immune to infection by the HIV virus which causes AIDS.

Chinese authorities declared the experiment illegal and in 2019 sentenced He to serve three years in prison. The experiment violated guidelines that banned research on human in vitro embryos after the 14th day of existence, and its subsequent implantation into a human uterus.

The author claims that genetically altered embryos can allow wealthy people to custom-design their children, however, he fails to provide crucial context regarding considerable ethical or medical risks. For example, scientists have pointed out the possible side-effect of this gene editing experiment; the twins might have a shorter life expectancy, or cognitive brain issues, according to their claims.