Police Detain Four Individuals Involved in Vandalizing the Graves of Lee Jae-myung's Parents

The police investigating the vandalism case of the grave of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, have booked four suspects.

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency announced on the 14th that two individuals, including intangible cultural asset holder Lee (83) from Gangjin, Jeonnam, were booked without detention as joint principal offenders of grave excavation, and two others in their 60s to 70s who assisted the act were booked as accomplices.

They are accused of digging holes around the burial mound of Lee’s parents’ grave in Gwanchang-ri, Myeongho-myeon, Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongbuk, around noon on May 29 last year, and burying six stones inscribed with the Chinese characters 'Saengmyeonggi' (生明氣).

A photo of a vandalized grave uploaded by Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on his Facebook. (Photo by Lee Jae-myung)

The suspects told the police, "We performed the 'gi' (energy) replenishment work with good intentions to raise energy three days before the local elections," and "We did not run or level the mound by jumping on it."

The police secured photos taken by the suspects on the day of the crime, the tools used, and forensic data.

Among the suspects, three share the surname Lee from Gyeongju, like the leader, but the police stated that they are not clan members as previously reported in the media and appear to be simple supporters.

In the case of grave excavation, it is not a crime that requires the victim’s complaint or forgiveness, and the act itself can be punished regardless of intent. The police plan to transfer the suspects to the prosecution next week.

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