A public agency employee in his 50s has been fined for spreading false claims on social media that the suspect in the "Dobong Station Mercedes-Benz rampage" case was the son of President Lee Jae-myung.
Public Agency Employee Posted False Claims on Social Media Ahead of Presidential Election
The Seoul Eastern District Court's Criminal Division 11, presided over by Chief Judge Ko Chung-jeong, sentenced the defendant, identified as A, to a fine of 3 million won for violating the Public Official Election Act, according to Yonhap News and legal sources Monday.
A was confirmed to be an employee at a public agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE).
He is accused of publishing false information in April last year, ahead of the presidential election, by posting on social media that the perpetrator of the Dobong Station Mercedes-Benz rampage was the son of then-candidate Lee.
The actual suspect in the case had no connection to President Lee. A was also found to have previously received a fine for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.
The Dobong Station Mercedes-Benz rampage occurred on March 29 last year. A woman in her 40s drove a Mercedes-Benz near Dobong Station in Seoul and successively rammed a police vehicle and a passenger car, injuring police officers and others.
Court Cites "Concerns Over Undermining Election Fairness," Considers Admission of Guilt
"The defendant published unfavorable false information with the aim of preventing the candidate from being elected," the court ruled. "This risks causing confusion in voters' proper decision-making, undermining the fairness of elections that form the foundation of liberal democracy, and creating the danger of giving an unspecified number of people a false perception of the candidate."
However, the court explained that it took into account mitigating factors, including A's admission of the charges and the fact that President Lee ultimately won the election, meaning the offense did not have a decisive impact on the election outcome.
