Seoul Gangdong-gu Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon Faces Major Crisis Over Wife Assault Allegation

Seogu District Mayor's Wife Booked by Songpa Police on Assault Charges... Seoul Democratic Party Begins Investigation, Possible Disciplinary Actions Expected... Faces Major Political Crisis Ahead

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Lee Jeong-hoon, the mayor of Gangdong-gu, Seoul (54), is facing his greatest crisis, including being investigated by the police on charges of assaulting his wife.

The Gangdong-gu mayor is accused of assaulting his wife, Ms. A, by grabbing and twisting her wrist while trying to restrain her actions in an apartment parking lot in Songpa-gu around 8:30 p.m. on the 15th of last month.

The Seoul Songpa Police Station announced on the 5th that they have booked Mayor Lee on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Domestic Violence Crimes and are investigating the case.

The police reportedly began the investigation after receiving a 112 emergency call from a passerby at the time.

Mayor Lee is also accused of injuring Ms. A by punching her in the face during a conversation in a park in front of an apartment in Gangdong-gu, Seoul, in July last year.

The two reportedly quarreled over an issue related to people close to Mayor Lee.

However, although Ms. A reportedly submitted a letter of withdrawal of complaint to the police on the 4th regarding the incident, domestic violence cases must be sent to the prosecution regardless of whether such a letter is submitted, according to relevant laws. The police are reviewing whether to send the case as a general criminal case or to recommend handling it as a family protection case.

The Democratic Party has announced that it will promptly conduct an investigation through the Seoul City Party and take disciplinary measures against Mayor Lee, drawing attention.

Lee, a former student activist from Sogang University who worked at a securities company and served as a Seoul city council member before being elected mayor of Gangdong-gu, was elected in the 2018 local elections for the 7th term and has worked to support residents in difficult situations by establishing a Labor Rights Center.

However, Mayor Lee faced difficulties during the local election campaign, including a detention warrant request for violating election laws, but he received a fine. He is also reportedly involved in another case that is currently under trial.

Recently, he has been criticized over allegations of building a residents’ recreational facility in his hometown, Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, but he stated, “I will definitely not pursue the recreational facility during my term.”

Mayor Lee is being criticized for the assault charges against his wife but has not issued any significant statements. A public relations official from Gangdong-gu Office said on the 6th, “Since this is a personal matter of the mayor, we are not in a position to comment,” expressing difficulty.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.