Lawmaker's stalker indicted

A man who falsely claimed to be engaged to Rep. Bae Hyun-jin of the People Power Party has been indicted for stalking, according to the ruling party lawmaker's office on Monday.

The suspect in his 50s, surnamed Choi, faces charges of stalking and spreading falsehoods against Bae, who recently was elected for her third term as a National Assembly member. The Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office on Friday arrested and indicted the suspect, against whom Bae had filed a complaint last month.

According to Bae's office, the suspect went to her grandmother's funeral on March 17 and made a scene. He claimed to be engaged to the lawmaker and to have been in contact with her.

Police officers who arrived on the scene let Choi go with a warning, but he continued to spread false rumors that Bae was dating Han Dong-hoon, the former minister of justice who recently resigned as interim leader of the People Power Party.

This was not the first time Bae had been the target of an attack this year. In January, she was the victim of a physical assault by a 14-year-old with a rock, leading the former TV news anchor to be hospitalized for two days.

The teen told police the attack was on an impulse. He was later found to have received treatment for depression.