'Poll Payment Allegations' Lee Jun-seok... Police Conclude No Charges

[Financial News] Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party (RP), has been cleared by the police of allegations of making false statements under the Public Official Election Act.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) Public Crime Investigation Unit announced on the 23rd that it had decided not to refer Lee’s case to the prosecution, having determined on the 25th of last month that there was no evidence of a violation of the Public Official Election Act.
At a policy debate in April, Lee stated that he neither commissioned nor was involved in any payment for opinion polls during the 2021 People Power Party leadership election. After a complaint was filed claiming these remarks constituted false information, the police launched an investigation.
The complaint was reportedly filed by a civic group official. The police began their investigation in May to determine whether Lee’s comments amounted to making false statements under the Public Official Election Act.
Following their investigation, the police concluded that Lee’s remarks did not constitute the dissemination of false information and decided not to refer the case. As a result, criminal proceedings on this charge have ended.
However, the police are continuing a separate investigation into allegations of third-party payment of poll expenses to determine whether there was a violation of the Political Funds Act. Lee and his representatives have previously denied any involvement in these allegations.
425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter