President Lee's Eldest Son Sues Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo Over "Imperial Golf" Allegations

Filed a defamation complaint with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
Lee Dongho: "I did not go to a golf course during my vacation"

Lee Jaemyung's eldest son, Lee Dongho, filed a defamation complaint against People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo, who raised allegations of "imperial golf" outings by the president's family.

Yonhap News Agency reported on Nov. 5 that Lee filed the complaint against Joo with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency that day.

People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jinwoo holds a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Hall on the 27th of last month, calling for a special inspector investigation into the golf allegations involving Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung. Photo by Yun Dongju

At a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Center on Oct. 29, Joo alleged that Lee had played golf with his eldest son and daughter-in-law at Hansandae CC, inside the Jinhae Naval Base in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, during a summer vacation in August last year. He also claimed that Lee's party traveled by helicopter to their accommodation on Jeodo. Joo released a photo that he claimed showed the helicopter parked at the helipad at the time.

In his complaint, Lee disputed the allegations. He said, "I did not go to Hansandae CC during the summer vacation, nor did I play golf there." He also alleged that Joo had damaged his reputation by publicly stating false information.

Lee's legal representative, lawyer Lee Jaehong of Gangmul Law Office, said, "Before being the president's son, the complainant is a private individual who does not perform public duties." He added, "Even if the president's family's vacation is considered a matter of public interest, using a private individual's full name without verifying the facts and continuing to stir up controversy through a press conference, social media (SNS) and YouTube broadcasts went beyond the bounds of political criticism."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.