Police dismiss election law violation case against President Lee Jae-myung

South Korean police have dismissed a case against President Lee Jae-myung, who faced allegations of violating election laws. The accusations stemmed from a social media post where Lee publicly praised Jung Won-oh, the former head of Seongdong District and a former candidate for Seoul mayor.

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It seems Mayor Jung Won-oh is doing a good job. My satisfaction with Seongnam city administration was quite high, but it seems I can't even compare.

Lee had posted an article on his social media account in December, titled "Seongdong-gu, Public Satisfaction Survey 92.9%... Highest Resident Trust." He added, "It seems Mayor Jung Won-oh is doing a good job. My satisfaction with Seongnam city administration was quite high, but it seems I can't even compare," a comment that sparked controversy.

At the time, Jung was preparing to run for the Seoul mayoral election. Lee Jong-bae, a former Seoul city council member from the People Power Party, filed a complaint, arguing that Lee's post promoted the achievements of a potential election candidate, thus violating the Public Official Election Act.

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abstract praise cannot be directly seen as promoting achievements.

However, the police concluded that the "abstract praise cannot be directly seen as promoting achievements." They also determined that "the substantial content of the quoted article refers to the accomplishments of the autonomous district, not the personal achievements of an individual." Consequently, the case was dismissed without being forwarded to prosecutors, as the formal requirements for the complaint were not met.

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the substantial content of the quoted article refers to the accomplishments of the autonomous district, not the personal achievements of an individual.