Fabricated Trump Truth Social post seized upon by ousted S. Korean president's supporters
The Korean-language Facebook post says this was the first time the US leader had mentioned ousted South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol's imposition of martial law on December link).
Then-US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said at the time -- weeks before Trump was sworn in for a second term in office -- that Washington was "deeply surprised" and Yoon had "badly misjudged" the decision (archived link).
Yoon's suspension of civilian rule, which was lifted hours later after a unanimous vote in the National Assembly, saw him impeached and then removed from office by the Constitutional Court on April 3.
"Indeed Yoon Suk Yeol was right and Yoon Again continues!" adds the Facebook post, which appears to reflect the views of the former president's supporters and uses a slogan adopted by those who believe his removal was illegitimate (archived link).
Image
Screenshot of the false Facebook post captured on June 23, 2025, with a red X added by AFP
The same purported Truth Social post was shared in similar Korean-language Facebook, Threads and X posts as well as on South Korean forum Ilbe.
Yoon's supporters have sought Trump's support in hopes that he would legitimise Yoon's martial law declaration, as both leaders have employed similar rhetoric about election fraud and alleged communist infiltration (archived here and here).
"Finally President Trump is coming to the rescue of President Yoon! We always knew he would," read a comment on one of the posts.
Another said: "Trump understands that the martial law declaration was a necessity."
The Truth Social post, however, is fabricated.
There have also been no official reports about Trump commenting on South Korea's domestic political situation or the December 3 declaration of martial law.
Fabricated post
A search for the purported post on Trump's Truth Social feed and archives of his account, captured regularly by the Internet Archive, returns no matching results.
Moreover, a visual analysis of the purported post reveals inconsistencies with genuine posts on the Truth Social platform.
The fabricated post lacks a timestamp and date, which normally appear in the bottom right corner of Truth Social posts. The text in the purported post also fails to align with the figure for "ReTruths" as it should in genuine posts on the platform.
Image
Comparison between the falsely shared image (left) and a Truth Social post from Trump's account on June 22 (right), with its alignment and timestamp highlighted in blue by AFP
A visual comparison of used in the false post is also different from the font "Inter", which is used on the platform and can be previewed on Google (here and here).
Image
Screenshot showing differences between the text used in the fabricated post and the "Inter" font used on Truth Social
The US in the days before and after June 22 -- when the fabricated post started to circulate in Korean-language social media posts -- are about the Iran-Israel conflict and US domestic politics (archived here, here and here).
AFP previously debunked multiple doctored images suggesting Trump had extended support to Yoon following his botched declaration of martial law.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fashion Network
26 minutes ago
- Fashion Network
Swiss gold industry warns against Swatch boss's US gold tax proposal
Switzerland's gold industry on Thursday voiced scepticism about a proposal by the boss of watchmaker Swatch to introduce a levy on gold exports to the US in retaliation for US tariffs on Switzerland. US President Donald Trump last week imposed tariffs of 39% on imported Swiss goods, causing shock and dismay in the Alpine republic, a major refining and transit hub for gold. The US Customs and Border Protection afterwards said Washington might put tariffs on the most widely-traded gold bullion bars in the US. However, Trump said on Monday that gold would not face tariffs. Swatch CEO Nick Hayek told Swiss newspaper Blick that Trump's announcement indicated that tariffs on gold would be painful for the US president. "Now is the time to go on the offensive. Switzerland should order a 39% export tax on gold bars for the US," Hayek told the paper. "That's where we have to get at him. That's his Achilles' heel." The Swiss Association of Manufacturers and Traders in Precious Metals (ASFCMP) said that while ideas to better balance bilateral trade were welcome, careful consideration needed to be given to Switzerland's longer-term interests. "An export tax on Swiss gold destined for the US would not only harm Switzerland economically, but also damage the reputation of a country that has consistently promoted and defended free trade," ASFCMP President Christoph Wild said. The Swiss Economy Ministry declined to comment on the proposal, but said the support of business representatives was in general welcome and helped underscore the close economic ties between the US and Switzerland. Trump justified his 39% tariff by pointing to Switzerland's sizeable trade surplus with the US. Part of that is due to gold exports. Hayek said that even if a gold levy failed to move Trump, it would cut the US trade deficit with Switzerland. "If Trump doesn't give in to our pressure, we'll at least improve the trade balance with the US if the Americans no longer import gold bars via Switzerland," he told Blick. Switzerland is continuing to hold talks with US officials aimed at lowering the US tariffs.
France 24
32 minutes ago
- France 24
Israeli far-right minister backs contentious West Bank settlement plan
04:30 14/08/2025 Hong Kong court to hear closing arguments in mogul Jimmy Lai's trial 14/08/2025 Serbia: Clashes erupt for a second day at anti-government protests 14/08/2025 Wildfires kill at least 3 and displace thousands across southern Europe 14/08/2025 DR Congo: US sanctions armed group, mining firms 14/08/2025 Last chance saloon for global plastic pollution treaty 14/08/2025 US places $5 million reward for top Haiti gang leader's arrest 14/08/2025 French animal shelters see surge in heatwave cases 14/08/2025 Four years on: Taking stock of the Taliban's return to Kabul 14/08/2025 Trump-Putin summit: Ukraine's European allies discuss ceasefire conditions
Euronews
an hour ago
- Euronews
EU, US closer to clinching trade deal text as Washington shares update
The United States has reverted to the European Commission over the heavily-anticipated joint statement that underpins the trade agreement reached between Ursula von der Leyen and Donald Trump in late July, the EU's executive confirmed on Thursday. "I'm now happy to confirm that we have received a text from the US with their suggestions for, let's say, getting closer to that finalisation of the document," spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters. "So we're going to look at that now." The US and the EU reached a political agreement ending the trade dispute between the two blocs more than two weeks ago, when US President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met in Scotland. The parties agreed that the US will set 15 % tariffs on EU goods, with the bloc also committing to purchasing US energy products worth €750 billion and to investing a further €600 billion Stateside before the end of Trump's term. But the two sides have since been making contradictory claims about the content and scope of the deal. The joint US-EU statement will not be legally-binding but it is highly important because it will set technical details and include the list of goods that will be exempt from tariffs. Gill would not be drawn to comment on when the text might be finalised, saying that "the speed with which that happens depends on both sides giving it full engagement and full focus and from our side we can certainly say that we will be doing so". Further technical and political engagement between the two sides should now take place, with the EU set to "make our own suggestions back", Gill said. "We ping pong it forward and back until we get to a final text, and I hope we can get there soon." Some European manufacturers have bemoaned the delays in the implementation of the deal, chief among them the automotive industry for which the tariff rate has not been reduced to 15% yet and remains at 27.5%. The EU Commission spokesman reiterated on Thursday that he is not concerned that the US president has not yet signed the executive order on car imports, arguing: "The US has made political commitments to us in this respect, and we look forward to them being implemented."
