"Filing complaint against the couple on charges including abuse of authority"

"They should transparently disclose the details and apologize"

People Power Party lawmaker Ju Jin-woo filed a criminal complaint Thursday morning at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung on charges including abuse of authority. [Provided by the lawmaker's office]
People Power Party lawmaker Ju Jin-woo filed a criminal complaint Thursday morning at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency against President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung on charges including abuse of authority. [Provided by the lawmaker's office]

People Power Party lawmaker Ju Jin-woo filed a criminal complaint Thursday against President Lee Jae Myung and the first lady on charges including abuse of authority and embezzlement — a swift countermove after the Democratic Party of Korea filed a defamation complaint against Ju on Wednesday.

Ju visited the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Thursday morning and said he had formally filed the criminal complaint against President Lee, first lady Kim Hye-kyung, and unidentified associates on charges including abuse of authority and embezzlement.

"The Democratic Party filed a complaint against me first in an attempt to silence me with power," Ju said, adding that Ju intended to "vigorously uncover the truth through this counter-complaint."

The complaint contains 25 suspected cases — spanning from December last year through October this year — in which tee times at Taereung Country Club and Nam Suwon Country Club were allegedly blocked off in groups of three to six, primarily on weekends and public holidays.

Ju called for the disclosure of payment records, asking whether President Lee had paid by credit card or cash when playing golf on Oct. 10, the day a building collapse occurred in Daegu. "If it was a credit card, release the transaction records openly," Ju said.

Ju also called on the Special Inspector to launch an audit. "The golf-related allegations have been raised with specific dates, and the Special Inspector can verify the details immediately," Ju said, urging the office to confirm the information without delay.

Ju then said first lady Kim had indeed played golf and taken lessons, and questioned whether ordinary members of the public could even make reservations at Taereung Country Club. "I'm told that in practice, regular people cannot book there," Ju said.

Ju said the club had offered indirect explanations suggesting public reservations were possible, but maintained that ordinary people effectively cannot book there. "On Oct. 10, the reservation was made as a family golf outing," Ju said.

Ju called on President Lee and the first lady to apologize to the public. "President Lee and the first lady, who play imperial golf every time a disaster strikes, should apologize to the people," Ju said, urging them to "transparently disclose the relevant details and make amends."

Citing the 25 suspected cases of imperial golf listed in the complaint, Ju said, "In the interest of the public's right to know, I am filing a joint complaint over the 25 cases of imperial golf — I ask that this part also be investigated."


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