Key facts
- The complaint was filed with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, a week after Choi made the comment.
- Choi also described the journalists as "doing everything to take videos that sow discord."
- Complainant Lee Jong-bae is a former Seoul city councilmember affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party.
- Lee said Choi's comments exposed a double standard that chants democracy but scorns journalists who cause discomfort.
- Choi apologized for her remarks at a National Assembly press conference on November 11, 2026.
A police complaint filed on November 12, 2026 accuses ruling Democratic Party Rep. Choi Min-hee of defamation for referring to journalists as "a pack of hyenas," Yonhap reported.
The complaint was filed with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency a week after the lawmaker made the comment in a KakaoTalk group chat, while referring to an image of photo and video journalists covering a general meeting of DP lawmakers. She also described the journalists as "doing everything to take videos that sow discord."
The complainant, Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul city councilmember affiliated with the main opposition People Power Party, said Choi's comments revealed her perception of the press and exposed a double standard that chants democracy but scorns journalists that cause discomfort.
Choi held a press conference at the National Assembly on November 11, 2026 and apologized for her remarks.