Yoo Shi-min Prosecuted without Detention

The Seoul District Prosecutor’s Office, Koyang branch, prosecuted Yoo Shi-min of the People’s Party for Reform (Koyang, DukyangKap) without detention on the charge of an illegal election campaign during the 4.24 recall election, as it was reported yesterday.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Yoo, on March 29, which was before legal election campaign period, put a piece of writing on the Internet titled, “Report on Dukyangkap’s Progress,” and revealed that his rival, Lee Kook-hyun, had led himself by 10%. Thereafter, he either visited or called his relatives within the district and asked for their support.

The prosecutor’s office said that he had been prosecuted on the ground that his election campaign was carried out before any legal election campaign period along with the fact that internet election campaign itself is illegal.

However, the office rejected Lee Kook-hyun’s complaints that Yoo’s illegally offered meals to voters during the election campaign period.

Yoo said, “I just involved routine political activities through the internet, thus I did nothing which would violated the election law. I believe the prosecutor’s office will make a decent decision on it.” Yoo was elected in the recall election to replace Kwak Chi-young, former member of the Millennium Democratic Party.

argus@donga.com