Seoul Police Investigate Threats Against Presidential Candidate Lee Jae-myung

Seoul police have identified two suspects who posted online death threats against Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), three cases involving murder threats against Lee have been reported. The SMPA’s cybercrime unit is handling two of the cases, while the third is being investigated by the Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

Police have stepped up security for all presidential candidates. More officers and advanced equipment have been deployed to protect them during the campaign for the June 3 election.

Last week, the National Police Agency reported nine online threats targeting presidential candidates. Eight of those threats were against Lee Jae-myung, while one was aimed at Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party.

Lee Jae-myung survived an assassination attempt in 2024 by a man with far-right views. Because of that, his party has asked for stronger security measures. However, Seoul police say there is no new intelligence that would require increasing the current security level. They confirmed that the Democratic Party’s previous request for more security has already been acted upon.

In total, 217 people are being investigated for 127 possible illegal actions related to the upcoming election. Among these, 15 people are involved in seven cases related to deepfake videos. Police have sent the videos to the National Forensic Service to determine if they break election laws.

Authorities say they are closely monitoring all threats and illegal activities to ensure a safe and fair election.