Lee on false information about Brazilian eggs: "Must firmly show incitement is no sign of influence or capability"

Directly checked with Minister Song Miryeong on the response to false information
Stresses need to diversify supply chains amid controversy over egg import prices
"The essence of public administration is to import daily necessities in short supply a

President Lee Jaemyung on the 13th called for a stern response to the spread of misinformation related to imports of Brazilian eggs. Amid ongoing controversy over the import price of Brazilian eggs and the government’s fiscal support, he also stressed that the government must play an active role in ensuring a stable supply of essential goods that directly affect people’s lives.

President Lee Jaemyung speaks at a Cabinet meeting held at Cheong Wa Dae on Oct. 13, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Kang Yujeong, senior presidential spokesperson, said in a written briefing on the results of the Cabinet meeting that President Lee had directly asked Song Mi-ryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, during a closed-door session how the government was responding to the spread of misinformation about Brazilian eggs.

After checking on the response with Minister Song, President Lee said, “It is necessary to show firmly that agitation based on falsehoods is not a sign of influence or ability.”

President Lee also reaffirmed that ensuring a stable supply of essential goods is a basic responsibility of the government. Senior Spokesperson Kang said the president stressed that “the essence of public administration is to import essential goods when domestic supply falls short, expand sources of supply, and provide them steadily to the public so that people do not experience inconvenience.”

His remarks came amid ongoing questions about the government’s import prices and the scale of its fiscal support for Brazilian eggs. Some media outlets had reported that the government imported Brazilian eggs at a higher price than eggs from the United States and Thailand, then supplied them to domestic distributors for 100 won each, raising questions about the economic viability of the import policy and the reasons behind it.

In response, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in an explanatory note released on Oct. 11 that imports of Brazilian eggs were intended to diversify import sources in preparation for supply disruptions caused by outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (AI), among other factors. The ministry said it had expanded the range of import sources to include Brazil and Denmark, taking into account the possibility that supplies from existing import sources could become unstable.

According to the ministry, a total of 133.24 million fresh eggs had been imported as of the end of September this year. Of these, 1.12 million Brazilian eggs were brought in on a trial basis to diversify the supply chain. The ministry said it had considered supply stability as well as import prices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.