Soojung Lee Deletes Post Criticizing Lee Jaemyung After Controversy
False Claims About Military Service of Lee Jaemyung's Sons Quickly Debunked
Democratic Party Lawmakers Accused of Spreading Misinformation
Controversy Over Voting Encouragement Banner in Suwon Special City
Soojung Lee, a renowned criminal psychologist and Chairperson of the People Power Party Gyeonggi Suwon Jeong District Committee (Professor of Criminal Correctional Psychology at Kyonggi University), posted content criticizing Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, but deleted it within 10 minutes after it sparked controversy. On the afternoon of the 28th, Chairman Lee posted information about the military service records of candidate Lee and his two sons on social media.
Soojung Lee, Professor of Criminal Psychology at Kyonggi University. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@
The post included the phrase "the whole family is male disabled," along with an explanation that both the candidate and his two sons were "exempted from military service." The reasons for exemption were listed as "illness" for the candidate, "online gambling mental disorder (military service grade 5)" for the eldest son, and "herniated disc illness" for the younger son.
Photo posted on Facebook by Sujeong Lee, Chairperson of the People's Power Party Gyeonggi Suwon Jeong District Committee. Facebook
However, this information was found to be false. Both the eldest and youngest sons of the candidate completed their full-term service as Air Force Sergeants. The eldest son enlisted on August 19, 2013, served at the Air Force Education and Training Command, and was honorably discharged on August 18, 2015. The younger son enlisted on January 19, 2015, served in the Air Force 3rd Brigade, and was discharged on January 18, 2017. In other words, Chairman Lee spread fake news. Once the post became controversial, Chairman Lee deleted it within 10 minutes. She later stated on social media, "I will repost after verifying the previous content. Sorry."
However, candidate Lee was classified as grade 5 wartime labor service (due to illness) on May 13, 1985, as a result of aftereffects from a bone fracture. It is known that Lee developed the illness after his arm was caught in a press machine while working as a laborer during his youth.
Article 250 of the Public Official Election Act (Crime of Announcing False Facts) stipulates that anyone who, with the intent to prevent a candidate from being elected, announces or causes to be announced false facts about the candidate, their spouse, direct ascendants or descendants, or siblings through speeches, broadcasts, newspapers, communications, magazines, posters, propaganda documents, or any other means, or possesses propaganda documents containing false facts for the purpose of distribution, shall be punished by imprisonment for up to seven years or a fine of not less than 5 million won and not more than 30 million won.
The photo posted by Chairman Lee, claiming secondary harm by Democratic Party lawmakers, is known to have been taken on the 13th, before the controversial remarks made by candidate Lee Junseok. Facebook
On the 27th, Chairman Lee also argued that Democratic Party lawmakers were committing secondary harm by exploiting the controversy that arose when Lee Junseok, the candidate of the Reform Party, quoted misogynistic remarks circulating online during a presidential TV debate. Chairman Lee posted on her account photos of Democratic Party lawmakers that had been uploaded by a far-right figure on social media. However, it was later revealed that the photos were taken on the 13th and were unrelated to the controversy involving candidate Lee Junseok.
As the photo spread, Park Jumin, a Democratic Party lawmaker, stated on the 28th, "They are maliciously distributing a screenshot of the number 1 video taken on May 13, distorting it as if it were taken today," and added, "We will respond strongly to posts that misrepresent the facts."
On the previous day, the 26th, Chairman Lee also posted a photo of a banner encouraging voting in Suwon Special City on social media, asking, "What is strange about the voting encouragement banner below?" and commented, "I never expected fairness from the beginning, but this is just pathetic." She implied that the dividing line symbol (|) in the banner was reminiscent of the number 1. When an internet user pointed out, "If you see that as a 1, you should go to the hospital," Chairman Lee responded, "Then does it look like a 2 to you?"
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