DPK Official Apologizes for Viral Cheek-Poking Video, Warns of Legal Action Against Affair Rumors
Key Takeaways
- •Lee Ji-eun, head of the DPK's Mapo A district chapter in Seoul, apologized for poking leadership candidate Jung Chung-rae on the cheek during a Saturday campaign event.
- •Video footage of the interaction went viral on social media, prompting public speculation about a possible romantic relationship between the two.
- •Lee categorically denied any extramarital involvement with Jung and stated she would pursue legal action against those spreading the allegations.
- •South Korea enforces strict defamation laws under both the Criminal Act and the Information and Communications Network Act, the latter carrying harsher penalties for online defamatory content.
- •The Democratic Party of Korea currently holds a dominant position in the National Assembly with 192 of 300 seats following its April 2024 election victory.
Lee Ji-eun, head of the Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) Mapo A district chapter in Seoul, issued an apology on Tuesday for a gesture captured during the party's joint campaign speech event for the Chungcheong region on Saturday, while also warning of legal action against those spreading allegations that she and DPK leadership candidate Jung Chung-rae were engaged in an extramarital affair.
The moment in question, which occurred during the campaign event, showed Lee poking Jung in the cheek. Footage of the interaction subsequently went viral across social media platforms, drawing significant public attention and prompting speculation about the nature of their relationship.
The Democratic Party of Korea is one of South Korea's two major political parties and is currently led by Lee Jae-myung, who has guided the party following its decisive victory in the April 2024 National Assembly elections, where the DPK and its allies secured a supermajority of 192 out of 300 seats. Jung Chung-rae is a candidate in the party's internal leadership race, the outcome of which will shape the party's organizational direction and legislative agenda going forward.
In her Tuesday statement, Lee apologized for what she characterized as an inappropriate gesture but firmly denied any romantic involvement with Jung. She indicated that she would pursue legal measures against individuals propagating affair allegations, which she described as baseless. Such threats of legal action are a common response among South Korean public figures to online rumors, as the country maintains strict defamation provisions under both the Criminal Act and the Information and Communications Network Act, the latter of which carries enhanced penalties for defamatory statements made online.
The incident highlights the intense public scrutiny that accompanies South Korean political campaigns, where candid moments between politicians can quickly become subjects of widespread online discussion and rumor, particularly as short-form video clips from official broadcasts increasingly drive political discourse on platforms like YouTube.
The original footage was captured from a YouTube broadcast of the campaign event.
Source: The Korea Times
