Yoon Camp Member Lee Soo-jung: "Lee Jae-myung Calls Murder 'Dating Violence'... Could Not Support the Democratic Party"

Yoon Seok-yeol Presidential Candidate Joins Campaign Camp

Lee Su-jeong, Professor of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Professor Lee Soo-jung of the Department of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University, known as an advisory professor for SBS's famous current affairs program 'Unanswered Questions,' has joined the campaign of Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party. Professor Lee explained her reason for joining Yoon's campaign by saying, "It was a murder case, but calling it 'dating violence' was incomprehensible." This was a remark targeting Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was accused of defending his nephew charged with killing his ex-girlfriend.

On the 29th, in an interview with the 'Kyunghyang Shinmun,' Professor Lee explained why she took on the role of co-chairperson of Yoon's election campaign committee, mentioning candidate Lee.

She said, "I had my own criteria for judgment. There were many things that contradicted what I have pointed out and claimed so far, so I could not go to that side (Lee's campaign team)."

She continued, "I could not understand candidate Lee's statement calling the murder of his nephew's ex-girlfriend and her mother not a 'murder case' but 'dating violence.' A candidate who is very different from the philosophy of the Democratic Party has emerged," she pointed out.

She also criticized the Democratic Party for not properly voicing women's rights issues. She said, "He stabbed a person more than twenty times. But regarding this, candidate Lee called it dating violence, and those so-called women experts said nothing," adding, "It was incomprehensible and unacceptable, as if the victim was called a complainant."

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, is performing a bow of apology while stating "We will be reborn as a new Democratic Party" at a meeting to promote livelihood and reform legislation held on the 24th at the Central Party Office conference room in Yeouido, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 24th, candidate Lee confessed in a post on his Facebook, "A member of my family committed a serious dating violence crime in the past, but since the family could not afford to hire a lawyer, I, the only lawyer in the family, took on the defense."

On that day, candidate Lee said, "I had a meeting with the bereaved family of a recent dating violence victim. It was a heavier moment because I also have a painful past."

The incident he referred to occurred in May 2006 in Gangdong-gu, Seoul. At that time, Lee's nephew, Kim, visited the house where his ex-girlfriend A lived and stabbed A and her mother multiple times with a weapon, killing them both. It is known that candidate Lee served as Kim's defense attorney in the first and second trials.

Kim Byung-joon, Standing Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is holding a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 28th. / Photo by Yonhap News

However, despite candidate Lee's apology, criticism poured in from opposition parties. They pointed out that a clear murder case was described as 'dating violence.'

Kim Byung-joon, the standing co-chairman of the People Power Party's election campaign committee, said at a press conference held at the National Assembly Communication Hall in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 28th, "Calling it 'dating violence' is not a mistake. It was not an ordinary murder case but a bizarre incident where two people were stabbed a total of 37 times," adding, "He only apologized for convenience, but in his heart, he probably still thinks it is 'dating violence.'"

Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader of the same party, said at the party's central election campaign committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th, "He deceived the public and inflicted secondary harm on the victims by reducing a clear and brutally heinous first-degree murder case to dating violence," and scolded, "Is he going to make a hideous murder case a fake apology show?"