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The incident of vandalism at the gravesite of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was revealed to be a ritual performed by some members of the clan with the intention of supplementing 'gi (energy)' to help Lee.

Lee Mo (85), who operates a Goryeo celadon kiln in Gangjin-gun, Jeollanam-do, stated in a phone interview with Yonhap News and other media on the 6th, "On May 29, three days before the local elections on June 1 last year, I visited the gravesite of Lee’s parents in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, along with relatives from the Gyeongju Lee clan, to perform a gi supplementation ritual." He added, "We buried 5 to 6 stones inscribed with 'Saengmyeonggi (生明氣)' at the burial mound of Lee’s parents."

These stones were personally sourced by Lee in Gangjin, each about the size of an adult palm. Lee himself wrote the Chinese characters 'Saeng (生)' meaning 'life,' 'Myeong (明)' meaning 'bright,' and 'Gi (氣)' meaning 'energy' with black paint, then buried them around the edge of the burial mound.

The dedicated investigation team of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency conducted an inspection on the graves of the parents of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, located in Gwanchang-ri, Myeongho-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk, on the 13th of last month.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Lee said, "In May last year, a clan acquaintance living in Jangheung requested that since Lee was struggling, we should help. They said that no gi was emanating from Lee’s parents’ gravesite, so we should supplement the gi." He added, "It was done with good intentions at the request of clan members, so it is unfair and regrettable that such a commotion has arisen." Lee is a master craftsman designated as a celadon intangible cultural asset by Jeollanam-do in 2004, and while training potters, he also works as a geomancy expert.

Lee explained, "'Saengmyeonggi' means a place where divine brightness and bright energy gather." He said, "I even registered 'Saengmyeonggi' as a trademark with the Korean Intellectual Property Office 10 years ago." He also stated, "At the request of acquaintances, I performed gi supplementation rituals at other locations as well," and clarified, "Some people say I wrote the character for 'Jukilsal (殺)' meaning 'deadly kill,' but that is not true."

The dedicated investigation team of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, which is investigating the gravesite incident involving Lee’s father, is reportedly sending team members to Gangjin to verify the facts after Lee admitted to performing the gi supplementation ritual at the gravesite. According to the police, the case is being investigated by a special task force consisting of 30 members from five teams, including the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police’s violent crime investigation unit.

The police are investigating the case under charges including 'grave excavation crime.' Grave excavation crime is not subject to forgiveness by the victim or a complaint requirement, and the act itself can be punished regardless of intent.

Earlier, on the 12th of last month, Lee posted on Facebook, ". What does it mean when someone, without the knowledge of descendants, digs holes in the burial mound and around it and buries stones with such inscriptions?" He also asked, "What does it mean to press down the burial mound so much that it lowers (like some people jumping on top of the mound)?" Although Lee did not specify whose burial mound it was, it was soon revealed to be the gravesite of his parents.

Later, in a newly posted message, Lee informed, "After hearing opinions, it appears to be a kind of black magic ritual where holes are dug around the grave’s vital points and ominous objects are buried, blocking the grave’s energy points and cursing the descendants with extinction and ruin, known as 'hyungmae' (or 'yangbap')."

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