Police have partially cleared former Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook of charges.

On the 21st, Lim Mu-young, Lee's lawyer, revealed the investigation result notification letter on social media (SNS), stating, "On the 19th, Yeongdeungpo Police Station referred the case with a not-guilty disposition for the remarks made at the plenary session of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Future Planning, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee in April." This announced the decision to clear her of charges.

At the time, Lee responded to Rep. Kim Hyun's accusation in the committee that she had posted articles defaming the Democratic Party by saying, "Because the Democratic Party impeached me."

Police argued that this statement violated a public official's duty of political neutrality by disparaging a legitimate impeachment process by the National Assembly, and included this in the arrest warrant.

However, according to the notification letter, the police stated reasons such as, "There is insufficient evidence to consider it a violation of a public official's duty of political neutrality," when deciding to clear her of charges, according to lawyer Lim.

Lee stated on SNS on the same day, "The police's referral decision is a conclusion that contradicts the Constitutional Court's decision and the law," and lamented, "It shows Yeongdeungpo Police Station's lack of legal knowledge and opportunistic attitude of currying favor with the regime."

Former Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook speaks to reporters after her release on the 4th of last month. Hanmi Ilbo.

Previous Article: June 21, 6:00 AM 

Police Refer Former KCC Chairperson Lee Jin-sook to Prosecution Without Detention 

Referred to prosecution without detention on the 19th on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.

Lee reported investigating police officers on the 4th... Prosecution assigned to case.

Police have referred the case of former Korea Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jin-sook, who was arrested and then released after an emergency detention review last month, to the prosecution without detention.

According to police, Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station transferred Lee to the prosecution without detention on the 19th on charges including violations of the State Public Officials Act and the Public Official Election Act.

Police had claimed that Lee engaged in pre-election campaigning through conservative YouTube channels in September-October of last year and March-April of this year (violating the Public Official Election Act and the State Public Officials Act), and for this reason, she was arrested emergently from her home on the 2nd of last month.

She was investigated twice while in custody and released by court order after an emergency detention review two days later. It is reported that she then attended a third investigation as a suspect.

The former KCC Chairperson, who was arrested and released by police shortly before the Chuseok holiday, strongly criticized the police at the time, repeatedly asserting the illegitimacy of the arrest.

In particular, Lee's side refuted the police's argument that "a swift investigation is necessary as the statute of limitations is imminent."

In a post on Facebook the day after her release, the 5th of last month, Lee criticized, "To arrest me, all three conditions—evidence of a crime, destruction of evidence, and risk of flight—must be met. However, the police, prosecution, and court issued and executed an arrest warrant for me without satisfying even one of these conditions."

She emphasized, "Since the police have already captured the posts, there is absolutely no concern of evidence destruction," and "How can I hide my face, which is known to the entire nation? The suspicion that I would flee is contrary to common sense even to imagine."

She further stated that the police's arrest was "planned and organized," and expressed greater shock at the fact that "the police had applied for arrest warrants twice while I was serving as KCC Chairperson during the detention review hearing. It is common sense to assume that if an arrest warrant was applied for a minister-level agency head, it would have been reported to the Ministry of Justice as well as the Presidential Office."

Lee pledged, "The citizens are the last bastion protecting the liberal democracy of the Republic of Korea," and "I will do my utmost to protect the liberal democracy of the Republic of Korea together with you."

Lim Mu-young, Lee's lawyer, stated on Facebook, "The statute of limitations for this act (Lee's alleged violation of the Public Official Election Act) is not 6 months but 10 years, and therefore, there is still at least 9 years and 6 months remaining," and added, "The temporal urgency claimed by the police and prosecution is not recognized at all."

While the general statute of limitations for violations of the Public Official Election Act is 6 months, lawyer Lim argues that according to Article 268, Paragraph 3 of the same law, the statute of limitations for the charges Lee faces is 10 years, not 6 months.

Previously, the prosecution stated on the previous day during the court's emergency detention review for Lee that "Lee's statute of limitations for violating the Public Official Election Act expires on December 3rd, and the arrest was unavoidable due to her repeated failure to respond to summonses."

Earlier, on the 5th of this month, Lee filed a complaint against the Yeongdeungpo Police Station chief and the head of the investigative division 2, who were involved in her investigation, for abuse of power. The prosecution has assigned the case to the 6th Criminal Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office.

Hanmi Ilbo Editorial Department