The Democratic Party of Korea filed a complaint with the police on October 28 against lawmaker Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party for defamation and violations of the Information and Communications Network Act regarding allegations of "imperial golf" involving Kim Hye-kyung. The party criticized Joo's claims as "malicious fake news" and called for a public apology from both Kim and professional golfer Lydia Ko.
In a press release, the Democratic Party's legal committee stated that they reported Joo to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for violations of the Information and Communications Network Act and defamation through false statements.
Previously, on October 20, the day of a fire in Seoul's Yeoksam-dong, Joo alleged that Kim received a private lesson from Lydia Ko at the Taereung Country Club and accessed the presidential clubhouse. He shared videos from the golf course on his YouTube and Facebook accounts.
However, Lydia Ko refuted the claims on her social media, stating, "The content reported is not true and has nothing to do with me." Following this, Joo removed the segment featuring Ko from the video he posted.
The Democratic Party asserted, "Joo's claims have been clearly disproven by the direct rebuttal from the involved party, demonstrating that they are falsehoods aimed solely at tarnishing the president's family." They further criticized Joo for allegedly attempting to destroy evidence by editing his Facebook video after Ko's denial, stating that his actions exceeded the bounds of legitimate political criticism and amounted to malicious defamation that could not be protected by parliamentary privilege.
Yang Boo-nam, the chair of the Democratic Party's legal committee, described Joo's statements as "irresponsible smear tactics and malicious fake news" that lacked even minimal fact-checking. He urged law enforcement to conduct a thorough investigation and impose severe penalties for actions that defame the president and his family.
Additionally, floor spokesperson Lee Joo-hee emphasized that a lawmaker's badge cannot serve as a shield for spreading falsehoods, demanding that Joo immediately retract his claims and publicly apologize to Kim Hye-kyung and Lydia Ko.
In response to the Democratic Party's complaint, Joo stated, "I will immediately file a counter-complaint to uncover the truth behind the preferential imperial golf allegations." He expressed on his Facebook that the Democratic Party could pursue legal action against him, stating, "While the first lady enjoys privileges that ordinary citizens can never access, they dare to accuse me. President Lee Jae-myung has not offered a single apology for making golf reservations and playing golf during a disaster. This arrogant administration will come to an end with imperial golf."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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