A photo claiming that Jeon Han-gil, a Korean history instructor from a conservative community, received a freedom medal from U.S. President Donald Trump has been posted, causing controversy. In response, Jeon stated it was a "fabricated photo."
On the 16th, Jeon told ChosunBiz over the currency that the post is "fake news. The people who manipulated it are the ones who doctored the photo," adding, "Can it be true? I'm going to report it as fake news." He also mentioned he has never claimed to have received the freedom medal directly from President Trump. However, he has not yet decided which agency he will report the "fake news" to.
The controversial photo was posted in a conservative Facebook group on the 11th. The author wrote alongside the photo, "Seeing the picture of Teacher Jeon Han-gil receiving the medal directly from President Trump made me believe that the U.S. is behind him."
Previously, on the 6th, Jeon conducted a live broadcast on his YouTube channel and stated, "I have the U.S. behind me, including Japan’s NHK, Yomiuri TV, and The Economist from the U.K. I received a promise of support for Jeon Han-gil. I warn those in the Lee Jae-myung government; if you touch Jeon Han-gil, I will immediately inform the Trump government. It could become an international issue."
Regarding this photo, the French news agency AFP noted on the 13th (local time) in its "fact check" section on its website that it was a composite image of Jeon over a photo of Republican donors. AFP also reported that Jeon was not on the official list of recipients of the U.S. Presidential Freedom Medal. The original photo shows President Trump awarding the freedom medal to Miriam Adelson on November 16, 2018.