▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during the opening ceremony of the Indo-Pacific Regional Meeting of the 2nd Summit for Democracy at a hotel in Seoul on March 30, 2023. (Pool photo) (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Yoon-democracy summit

Yoon says corruption threatens democracy, curbs freedom

SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday all forms of corruption that goes against the truth threatens democracy and suppresses freedom, calling for a fight against corruption at the international level.

Yoon made the remarks at the Indo-Pacific meeting of the second Summit for Democracy in Seoul. South Korea is one of five co-hosts for this year's summit, along with the United States, Costa Rica, the Netherlands and Zambia.

"Essentially speaking, all that goes against the truth and against the true principles is corruption," Yoon said. "It threatens democracy and suppresses freedom."

Yoon touted democracy as a community's decision-making system that guarantees freedom and human rights.

However, the health of democracy has been at risk of getting weaker due to the spread of false information, Yoon said.

"The dissemination of false information led by certain groups and forces, the incitement based on it, violence and intimidation, covert and fraudulent rent-seeking activities are distorting and neutralizing the community's decision-making system of democracy," Yoon said.

Yoon stressed the importance of the international fight against corruption.

"It is also important to respond to corruption on an international level," Yoon said. "Countries that share the universal values of freedom, human rights, rule of law and democracy should unite together to deal strongly with transnational corruption crimes."

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