On the 29th, during MBC’s broadcast reporting on the Jeju Air passenger plane accident, the words "Impeachment 817" briefly flashed on the screen for about one second. This has rapidly spread online under the suspicion of a “pro-North Korea operation theory.”
According to a report by Sky Daily on the 29th, MBC aired a special news report in the morning regarding the “Muan International Airport accident,” sharing a breaking story that “there is a high possibility the landing gear failed to deploy during landing.”
During the broadcast, words such as "Impeachment-related: 817," along with terms like “Liberation,” “NVIDIA,” and “Apple,” flashed on the screen for about a second before disappearing.
Additionally, the names of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon were also displayed.
Adding to the controversy is a viral screenshot of ChatGPT’s response regarding "Impeachment-related: 817."
When asked, “What is Policy 817?” ChatGPT reportedly answered, “It refers to a policy introduced by North Korea’s Kim Jong-il on August 17, 1987. It includes guidelines primarily focused on pro-North Korea operations targeting South Korea. The policy aimed to induce social chaos in South Korea and create a favorable environment for North Korea’s regime propaganda through various activities.”
The response further explained that “Directive 817” was “a term used by North Korea’s cultural exchange bureau, which was involved in pro-North Korea operations. For instance, a secret organization within the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) referred to its internal divisions as ‘Business Unit 1,’ with their leader called ‘Branch Manager.’ One individual, former director of the KCTU’s Organizational Struggle Bureau, Mr. Seok, was accused of engaging in espionage, exchanging over 102 directive and report documents with North Korea. He received a 15-year prison sentence in the first trial.”
Recently, MBC has sparked controversy over biased reporting related to President Yoon Suk-yeol following the “December 3 Martial Law” incident.
This has fueled speculation online that “MBC is inducing pro-North Korea operations,” with some suggesting that “North Korea’s pro-South operations may be behind articles pushing for President Yoon’s impeachment.”
Comments such as “There are spies everywhere” and “Now it’s clear that the broadcast intends to portray President Yoon as a rebel leader and push for impeachment” have also emerged.
A former MBC executive hinted, “It’s possible that a North Korean directive briefly appeared on MBC.”
However, MBC has yet to comment on the meaning of the term “817.”
Thirty-seven years ago, on November 29, 1987, Korean Air Flight 858 was bombed over the Andaman Sea near Myanmar by North Korean operatives, killing all 115 passengers and crew members onboard.
This act was concluded to be a North Korean terrorist attack intended to disrupt the 1988 Seoul Olympics and destabilize South Korea’s political environment.
However, many suspicions remain unresolved, and conspiracy theories about the incident still persist.
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