By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter
The prosecution indicted Chung Mong-joon, a senior lawmaker with the governing Grand National Party, without physical detention Tuesday for spreading false information about Seoul City's ``new town'' project during his campaign for a National Assembly seat last March.
The indictment comes as a local court has accepted the main opposition Democratic Party's complaint against him. The party filed the complaint after the prosecution cleared him of the accusation in September after investigating the alleged election law violation.
Chung allegedly told voters in his district in southern Seoul on March 27 that he could have the region included in the city government's new town redevelopment project.
He said that he had talked about the issue with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and that Oh agreed to his idea.
The prosecution earlier cleared him of the suspicion, saying Chung could understand Oh promised it, although he exaggerated Oh's remark a little bit.
The court, however, decided that Oh did not agree to making Chung's district part of the project. ``Oh just said that the imminent designation of an additional new town is impossible but he may positively consider it if real estate prices stabilize and the ongoing new town project makes progress,'' it said, requesting the prosecution indict Chung.