Journalists in Seoul were less than impressed when they recently received a set of questions from Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidential office that seemed more like an interrogation than a form to apply for media access.

The document on “identity verification” asked journalists to reveal their wealth, political donations or affiliations, along with similar prying questions about their spouses, parents and close acquaintances. 

As reporters voiced their outrage, the spokesperson explained in a group chat that the relocation of the presidential office required enhanced security. Foreign correspondents, meanwhile, were bewildered by sections about their parents’ occupations and whether they had