Bribery and Perjury Charges Against South Korean Democratic Party Leader Lee Jae-myeong

Charges of Bribery and Perjury Filed Against Lee Jae-myeong, Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea

Seoul, Korea – The prosecution has initiated legal action against Lee Jae-myeong, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on charges of bribery, perjury, and breach of trust. This comes as a result of allegations regarding preferential treatment for the Baekhyeon-dong development project and illegal payments made by the Ssangbangwool Group to North Korea.

Months of Struggle for Justice

It has been a long and challenging seven months since the initial arrest warrant was sought in February of this year. However, the warrant was automatically rejected due to the Assembly National’s refusal to grant the arrest request. This was in relation to suspicion of “favorable treatment of wirye/daejang-dong development” and “illegal Seongnam FC donations.”

Arrest Warrant Sought Again

On the 18th, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office’s Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1, headed by Chief Prosecutor Eom Hee-jun, presented a fresh arrest warrant for Representative Lee. The charges included breach of trust, bribery, inciting perjury, and violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.

Accusations of Damaging Public Funds

The allegations against Representative Lee involve causing significant financial damage to the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation. It is claimed that he granted various preferential treatments to a private contractor during the construction of an apartment complex on the former Korea Food Research site in Baekhyeon-dong, Bundang-gu. These actions took place between 2014 and 2015 when he was serving as the mayor of Seongnam.

A Disturbing Web of Influence

Around the same time, Asia Developer Chairman Jeong Paul, who has already been arrested and charged, sought preferential treatment through “government lobbyist” Kim In-seop, the former CEO of Korea Housing Technology. This request was relayed to Jeong Jin-sang, the former head of the political affairs coordination office of the Democratic Party’s representative office. The prosecution has described Representative Lee as the “second in command of Seongnam City” and a key player in this intricate network of power.

Suspected Payments to North Korea

Another troubling allegation involves payments made to North Korea. Kim Seong-tae, the former chairman of the Ssangbangwool Group, is accused of orchestrating an $8 million payment from North Korea, including expenses for a visit to the country. This payment was facilitated by Lee Hwa-young, the former vice governor of Gyeonggi Province, who held the position of governor from 2019 to 2020.

Further Charges and Previous Legal Troubles

In addition to the ongoing investigation, Representative Lee also faces charges related to a previous case involving impersonation of a prosecutor under the Public Official Elections Act. It is alleged that during the trial in February 2019, he contacted businessman Kim, a close associate of former CEO Kim In-seop, and solicited false evidence in his favor.

Awaiting Approval for Arrest

Representative Lee, currently a member of the National Assembly with immunity from arrest, must await full approval from the National Assembly for the arrest to proceed. The court can only question the suspect after a successful warrant review. This is an essential step in the pursuit of justice in this high-profile corruption case.

For inquiries, contact Reporter Ryu Gil-ho at rkh615@idaegu.co.kr

Copyright © Daegu New Paper. Reproduction and redistribution prohibited.

Charges of bribery and perjury also apply.

On the 18th, the prosecution began to secure the identity of Lee Jae-myeong, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is suspected of receiving preferential treatment for the Baekhyeon-dong development project and Ssangbangwool Group’s payment to North Korea.
About seven months have passed since the first arrest warrant requested in February this year on suspicion of ‘favorable treatment of wirye/daejang-dong development’ and ‘illegal Seongnam FC donations’ were automatically rejected because the Assembly National has refused the arrest offer. .
On this day, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office (Chief Prosecutor Eom Hee-jun) requested an arrest warrant for Representative Lee on charges of breach of trust under the Serious Punishment for Specific Economic Crimes Act, bribery of under the Serious Punishment for Certain Offenses Act, inciting perjury, and breaching the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.
Representative Lee is accused of causing damage worth 20 billion won to the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, which was excluded from the project, by giving various preferential treatment to a private contractor in the process of building an apartment on the former Korea Food Research site. An institution in Baekhyeon-dong, Bundang-gu, during 2014-2015, when he was serving as the mayor of Seongnam.
Asia Developer Chairman Jeong Paul’s (arrested and charged) request for preferential treatment by ‘government lobbyist’ Kim In-seop (arrested and charged), former CEO of Korea Housing Technology, was met by conveying it to Jeong Jin-sang, ex -head of the political affairs coordination office of the representative office of the Democratic Party, known as CEO Lee and the ‘second in command of Seongnam City’ This is the decision of the prosecution.
Regarding the suspected payments to North Korea, Kim Seong-tae (arrested and charged), the former chairman of the Ssangbangwool Group, is accused of getting North Korea to pay $8 million, including the cost of a visit to North Korea, through Lee Hwa-young (arrested and charged), former vice governor of Gyeonggi Province, who was the governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2019-2020.
In February 2019, when he was on trial on charges of breaching the Public Official Elections Act relating to ‘the case of impersonating the prosecutor’, he was also accused of contacting Mr. Kim, a businessman who is close to the former CEO Kim In-seop, and asks for false evidence in his favor.
As Representative Lee is a current member of the National Assembly with the privilege of not being arrested, the arrest motion must pass the full session of the National Assembly for the court to question the suspect ( warrant review) prior to arrest.

Reporter Ryu Gil-ho rkh615@idaegu.co.kr

Copyright © Daegu New Paper Reproduction and redistribution prohibited

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