Rhyme Key Figure Kim Bong-hyun's Second Statement: "Will Be Revealed Through Inspection or Investigation"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] Kim Bong-hyun, former chairman of Star Mobility and a key figure in the Lime Asset Management scandal, has released an additional statement following his prison statement exposing lobbying involving the prosecution and opposition parties.

According to the statement released to the media on the 18th, Kim’s side rebutted the denial by lawyer A, a former prosecutor, who claimed that Kim’s revelations were "not true." Kim’s side argued, "The statement saying 'early May visit to Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (not a retained lawyer)' is incorrect. Lawyer A was retained from March 2019 until the end of that year, and was not retained in May 2020."

They added, "It is also claimed that there was a several-month gap between the drinking party and the Lime investigation, but since it was written as 'in case a Lime investigation team is formed later,' it is not incorrect." They further stated, "Who was present at the drinking party will be revealed through ongoing inspections or investigations."

They also refuted criticisms from some media outlets questioning the credibility of Kim’s revelations. Kim’s side said, "Regarding the prosecutor’s question suggesting that someone else might have come before the witness examination to change the testimony, the answer was that this was not the case, not that it was as reported in the articles."

Earlier, on the 16th, Kim testified at the trial of Lee Sang-ho, former regional committee chairman of the Democratic Party in Busan Saha District, stating that no one had contacted him regarding this case. Some media reported this as testimony contradicting Kim’s revelations.

Regarding Woori Bank’s statement that it would consider legal action against Kim’s statement, Kim’s side said, "The truth of the matter will be revealed through ongoing inspections or investigations, just like the dispute over the truth with lawyer A."

Previously, on the 16th, Kim’s side claimed in a prison statement that in July last year, when the Lime scandal broke, they provided about 10 million won worth of drinking entertainment to lawyer A and three prosecutors, one of whom later joined the investigation team as its head. They also claimed to have lobbied the president and vice president of Woori Bank to request the resumption of fund sales.