Lee Jun-seok apologizes, but attacks Lee Jae-myung’s family ethics

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, presidential candidate of the minor conservative New Reform Party, speaks during a press briefing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. (Yonhap)

Rep. Lee Jun-seok, presidential candidate of the minor conservative New Reform Party, apologized Thursday for describing sexually explicit online comments during a recent televised presidential debate.

According to Lee, he had referenced the comments to raise ethical concerns over the past actions of Democratic Party of Korea front-runner Lee Jae-myung and his family.

During the debate held Tuesday evening, Lee Jun-seok cited a controversial comment allegedly posted by Lee Jae-myung’s son, Lee Dong-ho, in an online community. He then asked Democratic Labor Party candidate Kwon Young-guk, “If someone made an offensive, sexually demeaning remark about a woman’s body ... would that be considered misogyny?”

Lee's citation of the comments, widely believed to be from a post attributed to Lee Dong-ho, immediately drew criticism from viewers who called it misogynistic. The Democratic Party, in response, accused Lee Jun-seok of fabricating the quote.

“It was not my creation,” Lee said during a press briefing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. “It was a direct quote from a post written by Lee Dong-ho, the son of candidate Lee Jae-myung, on an online forum. The facts have already been verified by legal documents and media reports.”

“I rephrased the wording using relatively neutral terms. I sincerely apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable,” he added.

According to a court indictment shared by Lee on Facebook, similarly explicit language was included in the list of offenses committed by Lee Dong-ho. In October last year, he was fined 5 million won ($3,600) for charges including illegal gambling and distributing obscene content online.

When asked whether the question had been premeditated, Lee confirmed it was part of a planned line of inquiry. “I intended to follow up by asking candidate Lee Jae-myung how he felt about the actions of his own child,” Lee said. “But as you know, that didn’t happen because Lee refused to answer.”

Lee Jun-seok is now facing growing criticism from not only the Democratic Party but also civic groups and online commentators. According to the national human rights watchdog, more than 30 complaints had been filed as of Thursday morning, alleging human rights violations stemming from Lee’s remark.

Despite the backlash, Lee Jun-seok issued a warning to his critics. “Anyone who has spread or posted false information about me through broadcast or online channels must delete it and issue a public apology by 2 p.m. today. Otherwise, I will take strong legal action, both civil and criminal,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lee Jae-myung responded to the controversy without directly referring to his son. “At a time like this, we should be seriously reflecting on national recovery, overcoming chaos and restoring livelihoods. Let’s make this election one of genuine concern for the fate of the country,” he said.