Lee Jun-seok, the presidential candidate of the Reform Party, held an emergency press conference on the 29th, reiterating that the source of the so-called 'chopstick remarks' that recently stirred controversy was a post uploaded directly by Lee Dong-ho, the eldest son of Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, to an online community, strongly raising the issue of Lee Jae-myung's responsibility.
The candidate stated, during the day at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, that, 'In the last third presidential debate, the sexually violent internet post I quoted was written directly by Lee Jae-myung's son,' adding, 'The facts have already been confirmed through legal sources and media reports, and Lee Dong-ho was fined 5 million won for violating the Information and Communication Network Act.'
He added, 'I quoted the inappropriate content in a value-neutral way, but I sincerely apologize to those who felt uncomfortable.'
The candidate said, 'Not only did Lee Dong-ho engage in low-level hate speech, but he also committed illegal gambling over 700 times in two years, totaling 230 million won,' and criticized, 'If Lee Jae-myung was unaware of this, it indicates indifference or incompetence, and does such a person have the qualifications to lead the country?'
The candidate also pointed out, 'There were reports that Kim Hye-kyung received a summary judgment document regarding Lee Dong-ho, and if that is true, they would not be unaware of the contents,' adding, 'If you're going to criticize those trying to verify this, that is the wrong attitude.'
He emphasized, 'Verifying the family of the presidential candidate is an extension of public responsibility, not a private matter,' noting, 'Lee Jae-myung dismissed this as 'trivial issues' and evaded it, but the public has the right to verify whether there is a sense of responsibility for the family's deviations.'
He continued, 'Since it was indeed very sordid content, no matter how it's refined, similar issues arise when explaining it,' saying, 'When the Democratic Party comes out this way, that is indeed recognizing the essence of the remarks.'
This is interpreted as a rebuttal to the remarks made by Jo Seung-rae, the chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea's election committee, who said, '(The remarks) appear to be the creation of candidate Lee Jun-seok.'
The candidate claimed, 'If the problematic word is said to be genital, it could be expressed as a private part if refined further, but I have not used vulgar language and it is a value-neutral term,' adding, 'However, if individuals feel differently and it exceeds that threshold, I regret it for that part.'
The candidate warned, 'Those who are trying to instill a stigma of hate on me for raising the issue are now continuing a collective lynching,' stating that, 'If the individuals who inverted the facts and disseminated falsehoods do not voluntarily delete and publicly apologize by 2 p.m. today, I will pursue strong legal action.'
He appealed, 'A society where freedom of expression and the duty of verification have disappeared only remains loyal to power,' asserting, 'I will not succumb to attempts to cover up the truth. The public should stand on the side of the truth, not on the side of lies.'
The candidate reiterated that he turned off his phone and was unaware when Kim Moon-soo, the candidate of the People Power Party, visited his office early in the morning for unification negotiations, stating, 'We will not unify.'