Home > National > Politics

PPP lawmaker's daughter-in-law fails drug test following son's weed arrest

Published: 23 Apr. 2025, 14:46 Updated: 23 Apr. 2025, 19:49

The son of People Power Party Rep. Lee Chul-gyu, who is accused of use and possession of marijuana, walks out of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, western Seoul, on April 23. [NEWS1]

The daughter-in-law of People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker Lee Chul-gyu has tested positive for cannabis in a drug analysis conducted by the National Forensic Service (NFS), police said Wednesday.

Lee's son has also tested positive for the substance and appeared in court Wednesday for a pretrial detention hearing on drug charges.

“Although the results on Lee’s daughter-in-law varied across multiple tests, the final conclusion confirmed a positive result,” a police official said.

However, police did not request a detention warrant for the daughter-in-law, explaining that “there was no concern about flight risk or destruction of evidence.”

Rep. Lee’s son, who is in his 30s, appeared before the Seoul Central District Court around 10 a.m. for the pretrial detention hearing on charges of violating the Narcotics Control Act on Wednesday.

Wearing a face mask, he entered the courtroom without responding to reporters. His lawyer said, “We will cooperate with the process.”

People Power Party Rep. Lee Chul-gyu attends a meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 23. [NEWS1]

After about an hour of questioning, Lee’s son left the courthouse in silence, ignoring questions from reporters, such as “do you admit to smoking marijuana?” and “do you have any comment on your wife’s alleged involvement?”

The court held a pretrial detention hearing the same day for a person surnamed Jung who is suspected of supplying the drugs to Lee’s son.

Lee’s son is accused of attempting to retrieve liquid marijuana from a flower bed in a residential area of Seocho District, southern Seoul, in October last year using a so-called “throwing” method — a common drug delivery tactic where the supplier, courier and receiver of drugs do not meet in person. Lee allegedly traveled to the location in a rented vehicle accompanied by his wife and a driver.

Police were alerted by a report stating “suspicious individuals seem to be looking for drugs in a flower bed,” and responded to find a 10-milliliter (0.34-ounce) container of liquid cannabis at the scene.

A health official conducts a drug test at a facility in Daegu on Feb. 24. [NEWS1]

Using surveillance footage and further investigation, authorities identified Lee’s son as a suspect on Jan. 3 and arrested him on Feb. 25.

Although Lee’s son initially tested negative in a rapid drug test conducted four months after the attempted possession, a more thorough hair analysis by the NFS in early April yielded a positive result. Based on this, police upgraded the charges from attempted possession to actual use and possession of marijuana.

Prosecutors requested detention warrants for Lee’s son, the alleged supplier surnamed Jung and the driver on Friday. The court rejected the detention warrant for the driver following a separate hearing the previous day.

Lee’s son reportedly had a previous cannabis-related case sent to the prosecution but was ultimately not indicted. The court will decide whether to grant the detention warrant based on the results of Wednesday’s hearing.

The son of People Power Party Rep. Lee Chul-gyu, who is accused of use and possession of marijuana, sits in a vehicle before driving out of Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, western Seoul, on April 23. [NEWS1]

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY OH SO-YEONG [[email protected]]