Lee Jae-myung's side demands official apology over Bae Hyun-jin's 'Kim Hye-kyung accident' allegations

Lee Haesik Spouse Chief, Accuses Bae Hyunjin of "Distorting Facts and Inflating Suspicions"

Assemblywoman Baek Hyunjin of the People Power Party. / Photo by Yoon Dongju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] On the 16th, the campaign team of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, officially demanded an apology after Bae Hyun-jin, a member of the People Power Party, expressed suspicion regarding the fall accident of Lee’s wife, Kim Hye-kyung.

Lee Hae-sik, a member of the National Assembly and head of the spouse office of Lee’s campaign committee, posted on Facebook titled "Demanding an official apology from Assemblywoman Bae Hyun-jin," opening with, "The suspicion that the People Power Party is behind the large-scale, organized production of fake news about candidate Lee and his wife Kim Hye-kyung is gradually solidifying into certainty."

He criticized Assemblywoman Bae, saying, "She fully displayed the role of a mastermind inciting illegal election campaigning by exaggerating suspicions," and pointed out, "Assemblywoman Bae expressed doubts that Kim Hye-kyung’s fall accident was caused by a 'walk' and that the police were unaware of it, and also claimed that the process of the 119 ambulance transporting the candidate and his wife was a failure of police forces, deliberately distorting facts and inflating suspicions, which is unacceptable from the public’s perspective."

He continued, "Does the People Power Party feel the need for police protection even for the private lives of presidential candidates and their families outside official schedules?" and added, "Our rule is not to demand protection even if one encounters four stalking vehicles while going out for private errands."

Furthermore, Lee said, "Even when calling 119 at dawn, not revealing to the paramedics that it is the presidential candidate, and waiting for an hour and a half in the emergency room without disclosing to any medical staff that she is the ruling party’s presidential candidate, responding to hospital procedures just like any other emergency patient, is our law," sarcastically adding, "The People Power Party may not understand this."

Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, is giving a greeting speech at the 'Founding General Assembly of the National Assembly Members' Group for eSports Development' held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building on the morning of the 15th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

He then stated, "Assemblywoman Bae’s remarks cannot be overlooked. She insists that Kim Hye-kyung’s fall accident was caused by a 'walk' and that I explained this," but added, "However, since the candidate’s voice file and medical records have been disclosed, making such claims is impossible without some ulterior motive."

Finally, Lee warned, "I request an official apology from Assemblywoman Bae. If she does not comply with my request, it will be difficult to avoid firm legal action," concluding his post.

Baek Hyun-jin, Supreme Council Member of the People Power Party, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 15th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, on the 15th, Assemblywoman Bae said at the party’s Supreme Council meeting, "When someone becomes a presidential candidate, police personnel are officially assigned. Usually, 11 security personnel are deployed," and added, "In the Democratic Party, which has formed a campaign committee, police personnel protect the candidate and their family 24 hours a day."

She pointed out, "The ABC of (Kim’s accident process) does not match and is not convincing," and said, "Assemblyman Lee Hae-sik, who accompanied Kim, explained at 1 a.m. on the day that she 'fell during a walk,' but later the 'walk' detail was omitted."

She continued, "If the police personnel waiting outside were unaware of the accident situation, this is a serious flaw and problem in the police protection of a precious presidential candidate," and added, "Also, the fact that police security personnel were completely unaware during the process of the 119 ambulance transporting the candidate and his wife will be an unacceptable clue from the public’s straightforward perspective."

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party announced on the 9th that Kim Hye-kyung was hospitalized in a hospital in Gyeonggi Province due to a fall accident at home and canceled all of candidate Lee’s schedules that day.

At the time, Assemblyman Lee said in response to reporters’ questions about the details and location of the fall accident, "I’m not sure if it happened during a walk. I haven’t heard the details."

Afterward, Lee’s side mentioned overwork and stress as causes of the accident, but various rumors spread mainly on online communities. In response, the Democratic Party stated it would take legal action against those spreading false information. The party also released photos of Kim Hye-kyung being transported by ambulance and the 119 emergency call recording.

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