Lee Jong-won's Case Assigned to Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

The police have launched an investigation into Lee Jong-won, operator of Sisa Tapa TV, who is suspected of inducing false responses from participants during the Democratic Party's national convention public opinion poll. This case has been assigned to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit, meaning the investigation will be conducted directly by a higher authority, not a general police station.

Criticism has been raised regarding media reports that frame Lee Jong-won's public opinion manipulation as an 'allegation.' The media tends to use the term 'allegation' cautiously in case of an acquittal, but in Lee Jong-won's case, he confessed to inducing false responses during a live broadcast. Therefore, it is argued that this should be viewed as an already confirmed crime, not just an allegation.

Weekly Kyunghyang was the first legacy media outlet to vividly report Lee Jong-won's statements. These statements are considered the most crucial content, essentially Lee Jong-won's confession of his own crime. Lee himself stated that it was impossible to come in first place in the general public opinion poll through a first-come, first-served election, emphasizing the importance of the 30% public opinion poll.

As the case has been assigned to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit instead of Mapo Police Station, the intensity of the investigation is expected to significantly increase. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit acts like a special investigation team for the police, and forecasts suggest intense investigations, including cell phone forensics. It was mentioned that Lee Jong-won will now leave his home turf, Mapo Police Station, and experience something entirely new.

There is a significant difference in rank between investigators at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit and Mapo Police Station. While investigators handling cases at Mapo Police Station are usually sergeants or senior sergeants, those at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit are typically inspectors who write reports. This rank difference is expected to influence the status and intensity of the investigation.

Lee Jong-won himself mentioned that he was an important variable in the 30% of the public opinion poll. This statement is interpreted as suggesting that he played a key role in the process of manipulating public opinion.

Criticism was raised that despite repeated irregularities in past elections, no proper action was taken. However, in Lee Jong-won's current case, there is a consensus that a strong investigation and verification are necessary, as he himself has admitted to the crime. The host emphasized that Lee admitted to his actions.

Civil society and party members held a press conference to demand thorough fact-finding and strict party-level measures regarding the allegations of inducing false responses and obstruction of business during the Democratic Party's national convention public opinion poll. They strongly criticized Sisa Tapa's Lee Jong-won for inducing people to falsify their region and age. They also raised questions about the abnormal voting results for candidates Lee Seong-yoon and Park Sun-won, demanding a thorough investigation.

The reason this case was accepted by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit was attributed to past suspicions of inadequate investigations by Mapo Police Station. The speaker at the press conference criticized Mapo Police Station for allegedly failing to properly investigate numerous cybercrime complaints related to Sisa Tapa's Lee Jong-won and for appearing to suppress cases. Therefore, they explained that a complaint was filed directly with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for a fair and objective investigation.

With the Democratic Party officially reporting Lee Jong-won's case, it has transitioned from individual complaints by some members to a party-level response. The host mentioned that while some media outlets had reported on the complaint before the DP's official filing, expectations for a full-scale investigation are now rising with the case's assignment to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit.

The unjustness of indiscriminate seizures in the past, under the pretext of defamation cases, was pointed out, and an instance where even an on-site investigator expressed embarrassment was mentioned. The host criticized whether it was appropriate to request a search and seizure warrant for a defamation case. However, in Lee Jong-won's current case, as the evidence is clear, there is an expectation that it will be a good opportunity for the police to properly demonstrate their investigative capabilities.