Kim Rahn is the managing editor of The Korea Times. Since joining the company in 2003, she has covered various beats including the presidential office, Seoul city government, the Bank of Korea and the tourism industry. In 2014, she won the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) award for her coverage of the ordeals of migrant women in Korea.
Prosecution searches Gyeonggi governor's home, office
Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung enters his office in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Prosecutors searched the office to find evidence of allegations that his wife spread false information about his political opponents through a Twitter account. / Yonhap
By Kim Rahn
By Kim Rahn
The prosecution searched the home and office of Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung, Tuesday, in its investigation into whether a controversial Twitter account used for illegal campaigning for him belonged to Lee's wife, Kim Hye-gyeong.
A dozen investigators went to Lee's home in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, to find one of Kim's old phones which is suspected of having been used to spread false information about Lee's political opponents via tweets.
Kim used an android-powered phone from 2013 but changed to an iphone in July 2016, and again into an android-powered in April this year when police began investigating the allegations.
Earlier this month, police concluded Kim was the owner of the Twitter account with the ID “Hyegyeonggung Ms. Kim,” and referred the case to the prosecution. The Twitter account owner and Kim changed from an android-powered phone to an iphone at the same time in July 2016.
Prosecutors suspect the iphone was used for the controversial tweets posted in December 2016 and April this year about Lee's then presidential election rival Moon Jae-in and his Gyeonggi governorship rival Rep. Jeon Hae-cheol ahead of local elections.
Kim had claimed she disposed of all her old phones.
The investigators also searched Lee's office, with Lee being present. Lee told reporters, “I hope the investigation can reveal the truth and let my wife free.”
Prosecutors, however, failed to obtain any cell phone during the search.
In December 2016 when Lee was competing against Moon in the party primary for the presidential election, Hyegyeonggung Ms. Kim falsely claimed Moon's son landed a public agency job in 2006 through his father's influence.
In April when Lee and Jeon were competing with each other for the governorship, the account also falsely said Jeon cooperated with the main opposition Liberty Korea Party to attack Lee.