Eldest Son Admits to Allegations of 'Habitual Illegal Gambling'... "Will Ensure This Never Happens Again"
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is apologizing on the 16th after the launch ceremony of the Social Transition Committee held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul, regarding reports alleging that his son was involved in illegal gambling. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate who admitted his son's habitual illegal gambling, has drawn attention as it was revealed that he had previously posted criticism of gambling on his social media (SNS).
On the 16th, Jo Su-jin, a member of the People Power Party, shared a post titled "The second sign of a country's downfall is gambling" on her Facebook. It was a tweet Lee posted in June 2012 while serving as the mayor of Seongnam.
Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, shared this post in 2012. / Photo by Candidate Lee's Twitter capture
According to the post, Lee pointed out, "The Republic of Korea, as a country, is involved in horse racing, cycle racing, motorboat racing, housing restoration, sports lottery, lotto, and even pension lottery, essentially picking the pockets of the elderly," adding, "While punishing gambling by citizens, there are too many forms of gambling 'encouraged' by the state, making it hard to breathe."
Among netizens, Lee's post was mockingly evaluated as showing 'Lee Jeok-i (Lee Jae-myung's enemy is Lee Jae-myung).' Responses such as "Where is the honest presidential candidate?" and "The public feels fatigued" followed.
Previously, Lee's son, Mr. Lee, was suspected of habitual illegal gambling through media reports. It was reported that from January 2019 to July last year, he posted about 200 posts under the nickname "I want to win" on this community board, sharing gambling venue visit reviews and experiences such as "I won about 5 million won."
Lee admitted these allegations about his eldest son on the same day. He said, "I apologize for my son's wrongdoing," and "The person who joined the card game site mentioned in the media reports and posted the writings is indeed my son. It seems he was tempted for a certain period."
He added, "As a parent, I was lacking in teaching my child," but also said, "My son is deeply reflecting on his actions. He is very distressed about himself. I advised him that taking proper responsibility is the way to ease that distress."
He continued, "I bow my head and apologize as a father to those who were disappointed by my son's disgraceful behavior," and "I will make sure this never happens again. He will also receive treatment," he urged.
Regarding the possibility of criminal punishment for his eldest son, he said, "If it constitutes grounds for criminal punishment, there is no choice, and I will certainly take responsibility."
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