South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party has filed an official complaint against Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea’s presidential candidate, his spouse Kim Hye-kyung, and his son Lee Dong-ho. The complaint was sent to the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ Office on May 31 for allegations of suspicious gambling funds tied to Lee’s son.
Director General Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party
held a press conference at the National Assembly announcing the move. He argued that Lee Dong-ho’s financial transactions raise questions about the legality of the funds used for his gambling activities.
Suspicion of Financial Misconduct
According to Joo, Lee Dong-ho’s gambling activities are highly suspicious given his lack of assets and fixed income. “The candidate’s son has 3.9 million won in total assets and no regular income, yet he engaged in large-scale gambling,” Joo stated.
The investigation team claims that the 232 million Lee’s son won in illegal gambling funds are from undisclosed sources. The Director General emphasized that Lee Jae-myung had been given ample opportunity to explain the matter but has remained silent.
“It can only be seen as a suspicious financial transaction, and despite having provided sufficient opportunity to clarify, the candidate has remained silent, which necessitates the filing of a complaint to uncover the truth.”
Concerns About Gambling Addiction
Joo also pointed to evidence of a long-term habitual gambling pattern. He cited an indictment from the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office stating Lee Dong-ho’s likely gambling addiction. According to Joo, on March 15, 2020, the day of his grandmother’s funeral, Lee’s son gambled online for around 11 hours from 7 a.m. Then, he posted plans online to visit a massage parlor with his winnings.
Political Tensions Mount Over Allegations
The Director General argued that the evidence shows marathon gambling sessions were not isolated incidents but a consistent pattern. “The gambling that started at 3 a.m. on July 30, 2020, continued until 6 p.m. the following day, during which a total of 5.43 million won was deposited into the gambling site over 31 instances,” he said.
He added that this suggests a severe gambling addiction. Joo criticized Lee Jae-myung’s public appeals for economic support while his son allegedly spent large sums on gambling. His amendment would expand the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection to include peddling false information for political or economic gain as illegal information. This family’s move was to shield itself from scrutiny despite the scandal.
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