Gyeonggi Governor Cleared of Criminal Charges

A political rival to President Moon has survived an attempt to send him to jail:

A Suwon court cleared Gyeonggi Gov. Lee Jae-myung of all charges of abuse of power and violating election laws on Thursday. 

The Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Court found Lee not guilty on the four charges brought against him. Three were related to spreading false information during election campaigns and one was on abusing of his political power to commit his brother to a mental institution.

Lee, who previously served as mayor of Seongnam and was elected Gyeonggi governor in June last year, was indicted in December. 

Prosecutors accused Lee of using his influence as Seongnam mayor to forcibly institutionalize his now-deceased older brother, Lee Jae-sun, seen to be a political liability, at a mental hospital in the Gyeonggi city in 2012. 

Gov. Lee has also been accused of violating the national election law by making false claims leading up to the local elections last June. 

Joong Ang Ilbo

You can read more at the link, but ROK Heads may remember his wife was also accused of spreading libel against political rivals on Twitter. She was also cleared of defamation charges.

Though Governor Lee had the charges dropped the negative publicity may meet the intent of politically damaging him as a rival to President Moon.