The Democratic Party of Korea filed a complaint against Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party candidate, for allegedly violating the Public Official Election Act, with the Seoul Police Agency on the 28th. The candidate faced controversy for using explicit and violent expressions related to women's bodies during the final TV debate among presidential candidates held the day before.
The party's election strategy committee legal support team noted, "This is a hate speech against candidate Lee Jae-myung, his family, and all voters, and a very serious violation of the Public Official Election Act."
The legal support team emphasized that "Lee Jun-seok maliciously publicized false information with the purpose of defeating candidate Lee Jae-myung," adding that "it is clear that this was not for public interest but to disparage or defame candidate Lee Jae-myung or his family through the broadcasting of falsehoods."
Twenty-one members of the Democratic Party of Korea, Rebuilding Korea Party, The Progressive Party, Basic Income Party, and The Social Democratic Party of Korea submitted a disciplinary motion against Lee Jun-seok to the National Assembly's Ethics Committee on that day.
They mentioned in their disciplinary motion, "Politics cannot stand on violence and hate, and lawmakers have the duty to integrate society," adding that "if the remarks of lawmaker Lee Jun-seok are tolerated, South Korea's society that respects gender equality and human rights cannot stand upright."
In the last TV debate among presidential candidates, Lee asked Democratic Labor Party candidate Kwon Young-guk, while describing violent expressions related to women's bodies, "According to the Democratic Labor Party's standards, does this constitute misogyny?"
Kwon mentioned the claims circulating in some online spaces related to the family of Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung but did not respond directly.