President Lee says he does not want Yoo Si-min punished, signals he will not seek punishment

[Financial News] It has been reported that President Lee Jae-myung has indicated he does not want writer Yoo Si-min punished after Yoo was reported to the police for claiming that the president’s remarks on prosecution reform amounted to “deceiving the public.”
According to News1 and other outlets, an official at the presidential office said on the 21st that President Lee had expressed the day before that he did not want Yoo punished.
The presidential office is reportedly planning to convey President Lee’s wish to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which is investigating the case.
Previously, writer Yoo appeared on a YouTube channel on the 22nd of last month and criticized President Lee, saying, “The reason prosecution reform had made so little progress was that President Lee did not want a complete separation of investigation and indictment,” and accusing him of having “deceived the public all along.”
Judicial Justice Civic Action (Sasaehaeng) filed a complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against writer Yoo on the 28th of last month, alleging that his remarks were false and accusing him of defamation through the dissemination of false information under the Information and Communications Network Act.
The presidential office has previously said, “We regret the distortion of the president’s commitment to prosecution reform in a way that misrepresents the facts,” while also stating, “No decision has been made on whether to take legal action.”
Because defamation by publication of false facts is an offense that cannot be prosecuted if the victim does not want the perpetrator punished, police are expected to conclude their investigation once President Lee’s wish not to seek punishment is conveyed to the investigative authorities.
[email protected] Kim Su-yeon Reporter