Cho Kuk: "On the day the presidential office school violence scandal broke... coincidentally, the investigation into Lee Seon-gyun began"

Sharing Statement from the Emergency Press Conference
"Continued Claims of 'Police and Media Murder Drama'"

Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk claimed that on the day the Presidential Office Protocol Secretary's child's school violence incident broke out, the police announced the start of the investigation into Lee Seon-gyun, suggesting that the government manipulated the timing of the investigation into a celebrity to cover up the Presidential Office's mishandling.

According to political circles on the 1st, former Minister Cho shared a "Press Emergency Meeting Statement" on the 30th, stating, "Lee's death is outwardly a suicide, but in the sense that our society drove him to death, it is a 'social homicide.' While he was under investigation for drug use allegations, the police leaked information and the media picked it up, driving a witch hunt."

Former Minister Cho Kuk hosting a political talk show on the 22nd of last month.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The statement pointed out, "Past administrations, when faced with crises, often used investigative agencies to sacrifice popular entertainers to change the situation. This drug investigation of Lee Seon-gyun is not free from such suspicion. Coincidentally, the day the police announced the start of the investigation was the same day the school violence incident involving the child of former Presidential Office Protocol Secretary Kim Seung-hee broke out."

It continued, "When this incident broke out, the media should have been more vigilant about the combination of 'regime crisis and entertainer investigation.' They should have properly examined the facts and delved deeper into the background of the investigation. At the very least, they should not have simply relayed the information leaked by investigative agencies as live broadcasts," criticizing the media.

The statement added, "Every time Lee appeared before the police three times, the schedule was made public and reporters bombarded him with questions. It is no exaggeration to say that the police and the media collaborated to stage a homicide drama. Now, the investigative authorities are trying to evade responsibility with 'no prosecution,' and the media with 'extreme choice,' both five-character phrases," it said.

Finally, it stated, "Above all, the practice of copying and pasting information arbitrarily leaked by investigative agencies must be decisively ended. Reporting must always prioritize human rights as the highest standard. Rebirth is the true way for the media to sincerely mourn the death of an actor loved by the public," it conveyed.

Since Lee's passing on the 27th, former Minister Cho has posted related opinions on Facebook for six consecutive days, mainly suggesting that the police conducted coercive investigations for some reason and the media assisted, drawing parallels to his own experiences.

In a post on his social media (SNS) on the 27th, he wrote, "There are more than a few people who chose suicide while under investigation by the prosecution and police. However, investigative authorities do not take responsibility. The media does not take responsibility either. Only those who suffer deep internal wounds and choose death become the weak. It does not feel like someone else's issue. I am filled with anger. I pray for the deceased's peace," criticizing the investigative agencies.

In addition, on the 28th, former Minister Cho posted the full text of a bill related to the crime of disclosing investigation facts, and on the 30th, he shared this statement along with a commentary from the Judicial Center of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society.

※ If you have difficult-to-talk-about concerns such as depression or if you have family or acquaintances experiencing such difficulties, you can receive 24-hour expert counseling at suicide prevention hotlines ☎1577-0199, Hope Phone ☎129, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, and Youth Phone ☎1388.

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