Police reinvestigate prostitution allegations against opposition leader's son
This December 2021 file photo shows then Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung bowing deeply in an apology over allegations involving his son. (Yonhap)
Police have reopened an investigation into sex trafficking allegations against the eldest son of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung at the request of the prosecution, following their earlier decision to clear him of the charges, police officials said Tuesday.
The reinvestigation into Lee's 31-year-old son, Dong-ho, has been under way at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency in Suwon, 50 kilometers south of Seoul, though the same police agency acquitted him of the prostitution charges three months ago, the officials said.
Last year, police conducted a 10-month-long investigation into suspicions that the younger Lee illegally gambled and bought sex services between early 2019 and late 2021. In October, police sent his alleged illegal gambling case to the prosecution but dropped the sex trafficking charges against him, citing lack of evidence.
According to the officials, the prosecution has asked the Gyeonggi police agency to reinvestigate the younger Lee's prostitution allegations and conduct further investigation into his illegal gambling suspicion.
As the allegations emerged in late 2021 when Lee was running as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate, he apologized and confirmed his son joined a gambling site. (Yonhap)