Korean President Lee Jae‑myung warns journalists over stock‑manipulation

South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung used his X (formerly Twitter) account to publicly warn journalists involved in a recent stock‑price manipulation case, urging anyone implicated to surrender before facing ruin. The warning followed a rapid police operation by the Financial Supervisory Service’s Capital Market Special Investigation Unit, which detained a media reporter and a broker accused of using articles to artificially lift share prices for personal gain.

The incident is part of a broader political crisis surrounding Lee’s administration. Critics allege a pattern of “purge and revolution” tactics, with multiple criminal investigations—including alleged election‑law violations and illegal transfers to North Korea—still pending. The ruling Together Democratic Party is pushing controversial judicial reforms that would increase political control over the courts, raising concerns about the erosion of South Korea’s separation of powers.