[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Lim Juhyung] Amid the rejection of the arrest warrant for Lee Mo (33), the eldest son of Lee Janghan, chairman of Chongkundang, who is accused of illegally filming women's bodies and distributing the footage online, Rep. Pyo Changwon of the Democratic Party criticized the decision, calling it "still guilty if poor, innocent if rich."
On the 2nd, Rep. Pyo posted on his Facebook, stating, "Online sexual exploitation video distribution crimes are causing public outrage," and added, "Yet, you boldly show consideration and mercy to wealthy distributors of sexual exploitation videos. Truly remarkable and audacious."
Earlier, the Seoul Central District Court dismissed the arrest warrant requested by the prosecution against Lee on charges of violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act.
On the same day, Chief Judge Choi Changhoon of the Seoul Central District Court explained the reason for rejecting the warrant, saying, "Considering that the Twitter posts did not reveal the face, the suspect voluntarily deleted the posts, and the victims do not wish for punishment, it is difficult to recognize grounds for detention," and added, "The victims' unwillingness to press charges, the suspect's stable residence and occupation, and his attitude during the interrogation were comprehensively considered."
Meanwhile, Lee is accused of filming videos without consent while having sexual relations with three women recently and distributing them on Twitter.
The Seoul Hyehwa Police Station, which arrested Lee, applied for an arrest warrant on the 31st of last month, citing concerns about flight risk and evidence destruction, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office also requested the warrant, recognizing the necessity of detention for investigation.
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