Photoshopped Picture Of Jung In And Controversial Former President Accused Of Being Ilbe’s Work

YTN News explains what happened.

Baby Jung In‘s child abuse case has taken a rather strange turn of events.

Baby Jung In | SBS

The 16-month-old’s heartbreaking story has captured the attention of the nation ever since the news went public earlier this year. As the case against her adoptive parents continue to progress, they have made headlines once again but this time, it’s for a very different reason.

During a coverage made by YTN News, photos of the child were shown on the report segment. While this usually doesn’t stir controversy, the specific photos that were used during the clip are causing concern due to the photoshopped inclusion of former President Roh Moo Hyun.

Photo of Jung In and Roh Moo Hyun, circled in red by Koreaboo for clarification | YTN News

The reason behind the controversy is attributed to the fact that the former president was entangled in numerous controversies before taking his own life back in 2009. Roh Moo Hyun was formerly accused of bribery and his older brother was accused of embezzling millions of dollars. At the time, this received more backlash than usual corruption scandals because of the former president’s campaign. He vowed to rid the Blue House of all corruption and condemned all of his “corrupt” opponents. His self-righteousness was viewed as hypocrisy as he dealt with his own corruption scandal, leading to severe scrutiny from the public.

Former President Roh Moo Hyun | SE Daily

Just a few months after the controversy broke, the former president’s body was found barely alive at the bottom of a cliff. A few hours after being found, Roh Moo Hyun succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. During the investigation of his death, the police found a suicide note left behind by the former president, apologizing for his wrongdoings.

Former President Roh Moo Hyun’s funeral | The NY Times

Due to the negative legacy that the former president left behind, the photoshopped picture of him and baby Jung In has been accused of being the work of Ilbe. Ilbe, an extremist group of people online, is known for its misogyny and hatred of all minority groups including women, LGBTQ, immigrants, and more. While this group has a relatively large following in South Korea, they are ostracized from the rest of the Korean public due to their extreme and hateful views.

Ilbe has used Roh Moo Hyun as a symbol of mockery numerous times following his death. They have photoshopped his face onto different internet memes and have ridiculed his presidency, as well as his death. Due to this relation, netizens began to accuse the extremist group of photoshopping the former president’s face onto the picture of Jung In.

Real “Time” Magazine cover (left), photoshopped cover by Ilbe (right) | Donga News

YTN News stepped forward with a statement debunking the Ilbe rumors and explained that “the photo in question was created purposely by a staff member who respects President Roh Moo Hyun. It was created with the hope that Jung In will be protected by him in heaven.”

| YTN News

In related Jung In news, the prosecution has asked for her adoptive parents to be charged with murder due to their neglect and child abuse that eventually led to the 16-month-old’s death. They have asked for her adoptive mother to be sentenced to death due to her firsthand involvement in Jung In’s physical abuse. The prosecution is asking for the adoptive father to be sentenced to 7 years in prison.

Source: Hankyung