Yoon says alliance with U.S. damaged by untrue reports of remarks caught on hot mic

SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday that untrue media reports of his remarks caught on hot mic damaged South Korea's alliance with the United States in his first response to the controversy.

Last week, Yoon was caught on video making a remark privately to aides in New York that appeared to include vulgar words. Though the recording was not clear due to noise, many thought Yoon was talking about U.S. Congress and U.S. President Joe Biden.

But Yoon's office rejected the claim, saying he was referring to South Korea's opposition-controlled National Assembly without mentioning U.S. Congress or Biden. Yoon's ruling People Power Party also claimed people misheard Yoon's remarks because the video had a subtitle misrepresenting them.

"Damaging the alliance with untrue media reports would be putting people in danger," Yoon told reporters, adding that how such incorrect reports have circulated should be clearly verified.

kdh@yna.co.kr
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