Police Report Nine Assassination Threats Against Lee Jae Myung and Lee Jun Seok... "No Sniper Rifle Involvement"

Democratic Party Claims "Tip-off About Russian-made Rifles"
But No Report Filed with Police

On May 16, the police announced that a total of nine online threats against presidential candidates had been reported.

Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is wearing a campaign outfit over a bulletproof vest at the launch ceremony and first rally held at Cheonggye Plaza in Seoul on the 12th. Photo by Kim Hyun Min

According to the National Police Agency, eight cases involving Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party candidate, have been reported so far. Of these, one case has been forwarded to the prosecution, while investigations have begun on the remaining seven. In the case of Lee Jun Seok, the Reform New Party candidate, one report has been received and a preliminary investigation will be conducted before formal charges are considered.

A police official stated, "All of the messages were posted online and contained threats to kill specific candidates. In the case that was forwarded to the prosecution, the individual only wrote the message and did not actually prepare for a terrorist act." The official also emphasized, "There is absolutely nothing related to sniper rifles."

The police said, "We are strengthening security measures to prepare for the possibility of terrorist attacks against presidential candidates. We will promptly investigate the cases already reported, and if any evidence of attempted shooting or assassination against presidential candidates emerges in the future, we will conduct swift investigations."

Previously, the Democratic Party has continued to claim that there is credible information regarding the smuggling of Russian-made rifles. Cho Seung Rae, head of public relations for the Central Election Committee, stated, "As threats of terrorist attacks against candidate Lee continue to grow, we have established a counter-terrorism response team led by Kim Min Seok, the standing election committee chair." Kim Min Seok added, "We have also received reports of terrorist threats involving firearms and explosives, so we cannot afford to let our guard down."

An official from the National Police Agency stated at a regular press briefing on the 12th, regarding the Democratic Party's report about Russian-made rifles, "Nothing has been confirmed at the police level so far. No official report has been filed by the Democratic Party." The official added, "We will review whether the Democratic Party's actions constitute the crime of spreading false information."