Man in His 30s Arrested for Posting "Recruiting Lee Jae Myung Assassination Squad" Message

Police: "Will Refer Case After Confirming Democratic Party's Intent to Pursue Punishment"

Lee Jae Myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is attending a closed Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 4th, the day of the impeachment trial verdict of former President Yoon Seok Yeol. Photo by Kim Hyun Min

A man in his 30s has been apprehended by police on suspicion of posting a message on his social media account threatening to kill Lee Jae Myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.

According to the Samsan Police Station in Incheon and Yonhap News on April 22, the police are investigating a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, for posting a threatening message targeting Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party's presidential primary candidate, on his Facebook account. Mr. A is accused of posting a message on April 20 at around 11:00 p.m. from his residence in Bupyeong-gu, Incheon, stating that he was "recruiting an assassination squad for Lee Jae Myung."

The police identified him using his Internet Protocol (IP) address and other information, and apprehended Mr. A at his residence the previous afternoon, bringing him to the police station for questioning. During the police investigation, Mr. A reportedly stated that he "posted the message as a prank."

Under the law, the crime of making threats cannot be prosecuted if the victim expresses that they do not wish the perpetrator to be punished, as it is an offense subject to complaint. A police official stated, "We will confirm whether the Democratic Party wishes to pursue punishment, and then decide whether to refer Mr. A to the prosecution."