Eldest Son's 'Illegal Gambling'... Lee Bowed His Head, "Apologize as a Father, Will Receive Treatment" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, acknowledged and officially apologized on the 16th for allegations of habitual illegal gambling involving his eldest son reported by a media outlet.

In an apology statement distributed through his campaign headquarters that day, Lee said, "The person who joined the card game site mentioned in the media report and posted messages is indeed my son," adding, "It seems my son was tempted for a certain period. As a parent, I was lacking in teaching my child."

He added, "My son is deeply reflecting on his actions. He is very distressed about himself. I advised him that taking proper responsibility is the way to overcome that distress."

Lee said, "I bow my head and apologize together with my son to those who may have been disappointed by my son's disgraceful behavior as a father. I will ensure that such incidents never happen again. He will also receive treatment."

According to a media report on the same day, Lee's eldest son, Lee Mo (29 years old), was revealed to have written about 200 posts on an online poker community with servers located in the United States from January 2019 to July 2020, raising suspicions of habitual gambling.

Through his posts, Lee suggested trading poker site chips. He also posted about losing 5 million won in an illegal 'Powerball' odd-even game, referring to himself as a "gambling addict."

Notably, in May 2019, he wrote about visiting an illegal gambling venue in Sinchon, Seoul, and later posted reviews of offline gambling establishments. Lee wrote, "The places I go offline change every time. I go around Apgujeong, Konkuk University, Wangsimni, Sillim, and Bundang," adding, "If I go to the same place often, the tension disappears, I get bored, and my edge dulls."

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