Police Refer Private Expert Who Criticized Ahn Cheol-soo's Fiscal Policy

Charges Including Violation of the Public Official Election Act

Ahn Cheol-soo, a member of the People Power Party, is attending the discussion forum "Overcoming Crisis to the Future, People-Party-Government Discussion Forum: Directions for Pension Reform for the Youth Generation" held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The police have referred a private expert who criticized People Power Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo's fiscal policy remarks during the last presidential election to the prosecution with an indictment opinion.

On the 10th, the Mapo Police Station in Seoul announced that on the 9th, it sent Lee Sang-min, chief research fellow at the Nara Salim Research Institute, to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office on charges of false statement publication under the Public Official Election Act and defamation by spreading false information under the Information and Communications Network Act.

In March, the People Party (now the People Power Party) filed a complaint with the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office, accusing Lee of publishing false information online regarding Ahn's fiscal policy remarks. Subsequently, the prosecution transferred the case to the Mapo Police Station.

On January 2, Ahn appeared on the YouTube channel 'Sampuro TV' and mentioned D4 as one type of national debt, claiming that the government does not disclose its scale. Regarding this, Lee appeared on a YouTube channel on the 19th of the same month and explained, "I am hearing the term (D4) for the first time," adding, "D1, D2, and D3 are units of national debt, and separately, pension liabilities or liabilities on financial statements were named D4 directly by candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, which is a mistaken concept."

Earlier, civic groups held a press conference on the 12th of last month regarding the complaint case, stating, "Using criminal justice procedures to restrict academic criticism infringes on citizens' freedom of expression and academic freedom."