South Korea charges man over online sexual comments aimed at Reform Party leader.
Seoul's Gangseo Police Station has forwarded a man identified as A to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office on charges of violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act for using a communications medium to post sexually explicit comments online. The comments were aimed at Lee Joon-seok, the leader of the Reform Party, and included references to the leader’s mother and the party’s noted “chopsticks” remark. The accusation stems from posts made on Facebook in October last year after the controversial remark.
Police say A wrote the comments with the aim of causing humiliation, telling investigators that he wanted to inflict the same discomfort on the political figure he supports. Officials concluded that the act involves a sexual objective, noting that the intent to obtain psychological satisfaction can meet the legal threshold for this offense under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, according to Supreme Court precedent cited by investigators.
The case draws a link to a separate controversy surrounding the Reform Party leader. On May 27 of last year, Lee Joon-seok sparked debate during a televised presidential candidate debate by raising questions containing phrases about “a part of a woman’s body” and “chopsticks,” which critics said echoed messages previously linked to comments believed to have been posted online by the son of President Lee Jae-myeong. Lee argued at the time that he was merely quoting old online content.
Earlier, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Public Crime Investigation Unit had determined there was insufficient evidence and issued a non-prosecution decision in late November of the previous year. The new move to prosecutors without detention marks a shift in how the case is being pursued.
Lee Joon-seok’s legal representative, Attorney Kim Yeon-gi of the Chungjeong law firm, described the police decision as the legitimate outcome of a proper investigation. The party has not otherwise commented beyond the prosecution action.
This case illustrates how South Korea’s online harassment laws are applied to political figures and their supporters, including the use of social media to target public personalities. It also underscores how digital platforms intersect with political discourse and legal accountability in Korea, a dynamic closely watched by international observers given the country’s prominent tech sector and active role in regional security and trade. For U.S. readers, the development highlights broader debates over balancing free speech with protections against online abuse and how different legal systems address conduct that blends online harm with political campaigning.