The tip-off against President Moon Jae-in’s son, now known to have been concocted by a member of the People‘s Party, was “verified 100 percent” by the party, and its then presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo had no part in it, the party‘s election campaigner Kim Seong-ho claimed Tuesday.

Kim, questioned for the second time for his suspected part in the fabricated allegation against Moon’s son, served as a deputy chief of the party’s committee on campaign transparency. 

“(The election committee) did its best to verify (the information) according to procedures,” Kim said.

“(The decision to disclose the allegation) was made according to the committee’s system. Ahn played no part.”

Ahn, the party’s founder, was the runner-up to President Moon in the May presidential election.

Kim also claimed that Rep. Lee Yong-ju, who headed the committee, was not involved in the decision making process as he was campaigning in Yeosu, South Jeolla Province, at the time.

“News reports say that we simply revealed the informant’s email, but that is wrong. (The committee) verified the information 100 percent,” Kim said, adding that the information was in line with rumors regarding the younger Moon.

In the run up to the May 9 election, the People’s Party claimed that the president’s son Moon Joon-yong was hired by a state agency unfairly in 2006, due to his father’s political influence. It has since come to light that the information was fabricated by Lee You-mi, a party member and Ahn’s former pupil at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. In addition, former People’s Party supreme council member Lee Jun-seo has been accused of relaying the information to the party leaders while being aware of Lee You-mi’s actions.

Both Lees are currently under arrest, and Lee You-mi has since been indicted on related charges.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)