Criminal Complaint and Request to Suspend Posting Considered
Lee Jae-myung: "It's Like Throwing a Bomb Inside the House"
The Democratic Party of Korea has announced legal action in response to defamatory acts by hardline supporters known as 'Gaeddal.'
On the 16th, the party's Legal Committee stated, "Recently, numerous anonymous internet posts containing false claims such as 'colluding with the People Power Party' and 'Gukjim spies' have been found, defaming or damaging the reputation of Democratic Party members and figures," adding, "We strongly urge the creators and distributors of these false defamatory posts to immediately delete them."
They continued, "If false defamatory posts continue to be discovered, we will take all necessary measures, including criminal charges and requests to halt postings, to respond strongly," warning of possible legal action.
The Legal Committee also evaluated the repeated postings by hardline supporters as "acts that undermine the foundation of the Democratic Party and significantly damage the party's credibility," and stated, "These false claims appear to have been created with the intent to divide the party."
Recently, within the Democratic Party, amid the vote on the arrest motion for party leader Lee Jae-myung, a large number of votes in favor, abstentions, and invalid votes were cast, prompting Lee's hardline supporters to conduct a search for those responsible. They also engaged in defamation against non-Lee faction members related to the anonymous voting results.
As the issue escalated, Lee issued messages urging his hardline supporters to refrain from rash actions. Just the day before, through social media, he said, "'Why do you think differently from me?'?if you try to identify, shame, and attack others, it might feel satisfying momentarily, but it causes great harm not only to the Democratic Party but to the entire democratic camp," adding, "It's like throwing a bomb inside the house. What could be worse than self-destruction caused by fighting among ourselves while the opponent remains still?"
Lee appealed, "Internal attacks are the greatest risk. I urge once again: immediately stop all acts of disparaging and attacking our comrades who should be fighting alongside us," and said, "Even if there are differences within us, are they greater than those with the opponent? I hope we can look broadly and go together. Let's overcome small differences and turn our guns outward."
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