[Full Text] Ruling Party Election Committee: Lee's 'Sister-in-law Insult' Truth Is to Prevent Relatives' Corruption... A Heartbreaking Family Matter

Sendaewi's Statement on 'Brother-in-Law's Profanity'... "Could Not Tolerate the Unfilial Insult to Mother"
"Conflict Arose While Trying to Prevent Brother's Unfair Intervention in Administration"

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, is having an online discussion with global investor Jim Rogers on the theme "The Era of Great Transformation, the Path to Becoming a Global Top 5 Power" at KT&G Sangsang Plaerit in Seongdong-gu, Seoul on the 20th. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] The Democratic Party's Election Countermeasures Committee stated that the so-called 'brother-in-law curse' recording file is "the truth of the recording file is to prevent corruption among relatives." They also claimed that the curse words that presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung directed at his sister-in-law were a response to the verbal abuse that his brother and sister-in-law had directed at the candidate's mother.

On the afternoon of the 20th, the Democratic Party's Election Committee issued a statement saying, "There continues to be defamatory slander calling the recording file of candidate Lee cursing his sister-in-law as immoral," adding, "Regardless of the reason, the candidate has repeatedly expressed reflection and apology to the public for his immature past remarks and asked for forgiveness."

The committee further explained that the conflict arose while trying to prevent the brother's unfair intervention in administrative affairs. They stated, "This incident is a painful family matter that occurred when candidate Lee, during his time as mayor of Seongnam, tried to prevent his third brother's unfair interference in the administration to maintain clean governance," and added, "Lee Jae-seon, the candidate's third brother, caused controversy around 2000 by requesting the then mayor of Seongnam to grant preferential consignment of the youth center's convenience store and restaurant under a third party's name, and after the candidate's election, he attempted personnel intervention and requests for vested interests."

The committee emphasized that the court had previously prohibited the distribution of the audio file, stating, "The core point of the injunction and damages ruling is that the disclosure of private conversations unrelated to the candidate's official duties constitutes an infringement of personal rights."

Finally, the committee added, "Candidate Lee is reflecting and apologizing to the public with a humble attitude regarding the curse recording file," and "We earnestly ask the public to consider the context before and after the incident."

Below is the full statement from the Democratic Party Election Committee.

The truth of the curse recording file was to prevent corruption among relatives.

There continues to be defamatory slander calling the recording file in which candidate Lee Jae-myung curses his sister-in-law as immoral. Candidate Lee has repeatedly expressed reflection and apology to the public for his immature past remarks, regardless of the reason, and has asked for forgiveness.

However, this incident was a painful family matter that occurred when candidate Lee, during his time as mayor of Seongnam, tried to prevent his third brother's unfair interference in the administration to maintain clean governance.

1. The beginning of the third brother's vested interest involvement

Lee Jae-seon, the candidate's third brother, caused controversy around 2000 by requesting the then mayor of Seongnam to grant preferential consignment of the youth center's convenience store and restaurant under a third party's name while candidate Lee was engaged in civic activism.

After candidate Lee was elected mayor of Seongnam in 2010, his brother began to actively intervene in administrative affairs and vested interests. The three previous elected mayors of Seongnam were all arrested for corruption, and the immediate predecessor, Lee Dae-yeop, was punished for corruption involving his nephew, niece-in-law, and grandson. Corruption among relatives is like a cancer; once overlooked, it grows uncontrollably. Candidate Lee knew better than anyone that it is impossible to stop it without prior prevention and crackdown. When rumors arose that his brother was involved in a project to build a senior housing facility, candidate Lee, concerned about corruption among relatives, took measures to block the project entirely.

2. The third brother's abnormal behavior, vested interest involvement, and administrative interference continued.

From early 2012, the brother repeatedly demanded candidate Lee's resignation as mayor and requested phone calls and meetings. Claiming to be the 'mayor's elder brother,' he demanded personnel appointments of four public officials from the chief of staff and requested the auditor to arrange a university professor position within the jurisdiction, engaging in personnel intervention and vested interest requests. He also directly gave work instructions to public officials.

He showed abnormal behavior such as personally conducting crackdowns, claiming part of Seongnam Lotte Department Store's operations were illegal, and verbally abusing and bullying banks in the area. He even stormed the Saenuri Party's caucus room, claiming he would intervene in the election of the Seongnam City Council chairman.

Unable to tolerate this, candidate Lee instructed Seongnam city officials to 'avoid contact and phone calls with the elder brother.' Isolated from contact with officials, the brother staged a sit-in in front of the mayor's office demanding a meeting.

3. When threatening public officials failed, the third brother approached Mayor Lee through their mother.

When candidate Lee blocked his brother's vested interest involvement, the brother began to approach the candidate through their estranged mother. The brother had previously severed ties after demanding 50 million won for their mother's retirement funds and being refused, followed by abusive and immoral verbal attacks.

On or around May 28, 2012, the brother visited their mother, who lived separately in Seongnam, and threatened, "I will set fire to your house and church." Around June 2012, he made the problematic immoral remarks to candidate Lee's spouse, saying, "I want to stab Gu○○ (mother's name) with a knife, I want to stab the hole I came out of."

4. The truth of the curse recording file is that it arose because candidate Lee, as a son, could not tolerate the third brother's immoral curses directed at their mother.

Candidate Lee made several protest calls about the immoral remarks made by his brother and sister-in-law, but they mocked him, calling it philosophical expressions, and continued to insult their mother.

The brother and sister-in-law recorded numerous phone calls and manipulated and distorted a very small portion to spread the false claim that candidate Lee verbally abused his sister-in-law.

Besides the immoral remarks, on or around July 15, 2012, the brother visited their mother's house and assaulted their mother and younger sister. Eventually, the brother was criminally punished with a 5 million won fine for threatening his mother and assault, and the court issued a 100-meter restraining order from their mother. This gives an idea of the level of family conflict at the time.

The court has already prohibited the distribution of the audio file. The core point of the injunction and damages ruling is that the disclosure of private conversations unrelated to the candidate's official duties constitutes an infringement of personal rights.

5. Candidate Lee Jae-myung endured 'personal disgrace' to 'completely block his brother's administrative interference.'

In South Korean politics, it is rare for a politician not to have issues with relatives. Corruption among relatives of high-ranking officials grows uncontrollably once overlooked and eventually plunges society into chaos.

If candidate Lee had turned a blind eye to his brother's abnormal behavior and vested interest involvement, there would have been no extreme family conflict. Also, the maliciously edited recording file that has caused controversy would not have been released.

The candidate tried to keep his promise to the people as their representative, even at the cost of personal disgrace. He completely blocked his brother's involvement to ensure clean governance. Had he ignored his brother's demands, there would have been no disgrace from conflict, but Seongnam's administration would have been stained by family corruption, and the public would have borne the consequences.

Candidate Lee is reflecting and apologizing to the public with a humble attitude regarding the curse recording file. We earnestly ask the public to consider the context before and after the incident.

- Democratic Party Election Committee