The arrow indicates the location where the body of Vice Principal Nam of Yeongmyeong School (Yeongga Educational Foundation) was found. The water depth was 29m, and leisure facility finishing work was in progress at the time of discovery. The Pohang 119 Special Rescue Team was dispatched two days after the body discovery report, on May 19th, to recover the body.

On June 28, 2025, a letter was posted on an online community's free 게시판 (bulletin board). The title was "To Representative Lee Jae-myung," and the pseudonym was "Lee Hyeong-pyo." The letter, written in a letter format, contained allegations about President Lee Jae-myung's birthplace, his father's past, and suspicions of criminal activity during his minor years.

Core Claims of Lee Hyeong-pyo's Letter

Birthplace: The claim that President Lee Jae-myung's hometown is not Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, but rather Togok-ri, Cheonggi-myeon, Yeongyang-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

Father's Conduct: The claim that he worked as an attendant at the Cheonggi-myeon office, embezzled tobacco purchase funds, and fled in the middle of the night.

Juvenile Offender Suspicion: The claim that during middle school, he, along with 4-5 friends, gang-raped and murdered a 6th-grade elementary school girl, and was sentenced to 10 years at the Anyang Juvenile Reformatory.

This letter was soon linked to the death of the Vice Principal of Yeongmyeong School at Andong Dam. As former US Federal Prosecutor Moss Tan mentioned during his visit to Korea the possibility that "a female student who was attending Yeongmyeong School was murdered, and the vice principal who knew about it was murdered," the juvenile offender suspicion from the 'Lee Hyeong-pyo letter' resurfaced.

On-site Investigation and Testimonies

As a result of Hanmi Ilbo's investigation in the Andong and Yeongyang areas, the 'birthplace' and 'father's midnight flight' sections matched the testimonies of numerous residents.

Numerous Residents: "The birthplace is indeed Yeongyang."

Numerous Residents: "He fled in the middle of the night with the tobacco purchase money."

However, opinions were divided regarding the juvenile offender and rape-murder suspicions.

Negative View: "Rape-murder is absurd."

Partial Agreement: "It's possible he was a problematic child."

According to testimonies from nearby residents and local reporters, approximately three years after the father's midnight flight, President Lee Jae-myung moved to Seongnam around the 6th grade of elementary school. Claims that the incident occurred in Seongnam and claims that it was due to gang rape-murder clash even locally. However, access to related records is impossible due to legal issues.

Dochon-ri, Ye'an-myeon, Andong-si, known as the birthplace. Most residents interviewed by this newspaper stated that this is not the birthplace. The claim is that he was born in Yeongyang-gun.

Legal and Social Repercussions

In the past, the 'Lee Jae-myung juvenile reformatory resident theory' spread online, and some disseminators were fined for spreading false information. The current 'Lee Hyeong-pyo letter' also carries a high risk of defamation if it spreads before its facts are verified.

Despite this, the letter is being framed as an 'inside tip' in political circles and used as a tool for attack. Conversely, President Lee Jae-myung's side dismisses it as 'election-season smear tactics.'

Connection to the Andong Dam Incident

The disappearance of Vice Principal A of Yeongmyeong School in August 2010 was concluded as suicide after the body was found 15 years later. However, the truth of the report about the 'auditory hallucination' by Mr. Baek, the initial discoverer, the specific circumstances of the discovery site, and Moss Tan's remarks, combined with the claims in the 'Lee Hyeong-pyo letter,' have raised the need for a reinvestigation.

Goo Ju and his lawyer submitted a complaint requesting a reinvestigation, citing the possibility of murder, but the Andong Police Station recently announced its decision to close the case.

While some parts of the 'Lee Hyeong-pyo letter' align with local testimonies, the serious criminal allegations have not been confirmed. The connection to the Andong Dam incident is also still speculative. However, as the questions raised by this letter and its repercussions spread throughout politics and society, calm verification is needed to distinguish fact from allegation. The full details of the Andong Dam Mr. A's body case will be revealed in subsequent reports.

Hanmi Ilbo will continue its additional investigation and verification on this matter. We request readers' tips and cooperation with materials.

Andong = Reporters Kim Young and Lee Hyo-ju

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