Police Investigate Park Cheol-min for False Accusations in Lee Jae-myung Case

Police have launched an investigation into whether a false complaint was filed regarding allegations related to President Lee Jae-myung and organized crime. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency is investigating Park Cheol-min, identified as an organized crime figure, on charges of making false accusations for filing a false complaint against President Lee Jae-myung and others.

In 2021, Park Cheol-min filed a complaint alleging that President Lee Jae-myung, who was the Governor of Gyeonggi Province at the time, had close ties with individuals from the Seongnam-based organized crime group and provided them with preferential treatment. At the time, the police determined that Park's claims were not true.

The current investigation into making false accusations was prompted by the final conviction of lawyer Jang Young-ha, who raised suspicions based on Park's claims, for violating the Public Official Election Act by disseminating false information. Park Cheol-min was reportedly sentenced to imprisonment for disseminating false information under the Public Official Election Act in August 2024. With lawyer Jang's conviction upheld for disseminating false information, police have resumed their investigation, deeming the possibility of applying charges of making false accusations to Park to be substantial.

A police official explained that separate false accusation cases are ongoing for some of the individuals Park had accused, and the current investigation is primarily focusing on whether the remaining targets were subjects of false accusations.

Following the confirmation of the relevant court ruling, President Lee Jae-myung stated, 'There are still many people in the world who believe I am involved with gangsters,' and expressed his desire for 'a clear world where truth and justice flow like a river, free from fake news.' This investigation demonstrates how allegations that spread during the presidential election cycle can lead to criminal liability after judicial review, reigniting debates surrounding the scope of legal responsibility for spreading false information.