Reform Party leader denies knowledge of candidate's alleged self-staged act

Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, has denied any knowledge of alleged "self-staged acts" by Jeong Yi-han, a former candidate for Busan mayor. The controversy arose following reports that Jeong had confessed to police about staging incidents during his campaign.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Lee stated he was completely unaware of Jeong's alleged confession, which reportedly occurred in mid-May. "There was no way such a person would have told us, and the police did not officially notify us, did they?" Lee asked, emphasizing that he could not have known and did not know about the situation. He explained that with candidates running in eight different metropolitan areas, the party did not focus on individual candidates, making it difficult to track specific cases.

Regarding the party's internal investigation into the matter, Lee noted that Jeong had already left the party, limiting the Reform Party's ability to compel him to cooperate. He mentioned that even individuals within Jeong's Busan campaign office were reportedly unaware of the situation until the police investigation began. Lee acknowledged that while the party would strengthen candidate vetting processes to prevent future incidents, he could not make specific promises given the unusual nature of this case.

Lee also addressed criticism from independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who had accused Jeong of "stealing" voters' rights. Lee suggested that Han's persistent focus on the issue stemmed from "other motives." He alluded to Han's own handling of allegations related to his affairs, stating that the public was aware of his actions, and the Reform Party would refrain from further comment.