President Lee Denounces False Claims on 'Restoring Kim Hye-kyung's Birthplace' as "Defamatory Crime"

President Lee Jae-myung criticized false claims alleging that efforts are underway to restore the birthplace of his wife, First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, calling it "a crime that defames others."

President Lee, who is visiting New York on the occasion of attending the UN General Assembly, shared a social media post on September 23, local time, regarding the purported establishment of a committee to restore First Lady Kim's birthplace, pointing out, "The talk of restoring my wife's birthplace site is an incident that took place on July 3, 2025."

President Lee explained, "My in-laws' home was in Chungju, North Chungcheong Province, but my wife's birthplace is an OB-GYN clinic in Seoul," adding, "As soon as the absurd talk of birthplace restoration sparked controversy in July of last year, I sought out those involved and issued a stern warning, so this issue has already ceased to exist."

He went on to say, "Criticism is free, but making a defunct matter look like something happening now is not freedom of expression, but a crime that defames others," pointing out that "attacking someone by presuming words never spoken and events that never happened as facts should be avoided."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
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