Lee Jae-myung "Daejang-dong, the person who took the money is the culprit... 100% recovery possible in case of illegal transactions"

Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is attending the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province held at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office on the 18th, providing a work report. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate and Governor of Gyeonggi Province, said on the 18th, "In conclusion, those who share stolen goods and receive money are thieves and criminals."

On the same day, while attending the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of Gyeonggi Province at the provincial government office, Lee told reporters, "We tried to completely prevent thieves from stealing, but unfortunately, the People Power Party obstructed the recovery of stolen goods as a party policy, so only about 70% or half was recovered. This is the essence of this case."

He added, "I empathize with and feel sorry for the public's sense of deprivation and their criticism of the performance as Seongnam mayor, saying, 'Why didn't you do more? Why was it only this much?'" He continued, "Although efforts were made, I deeply apologize as the appointing authority for the suspicions that some related public officials were corrupted and colluded with private business operators."

Lee expressed confidence, saying, "The root of this case is that the People Power Party blocked 100% public development. I could have chosen not to do this, but I voluntarily attend the national audit. The public will see through this."

Regarding Kim Man-bae, the key figure in this suspicion, he said, "I have done one interview with him," and added, "He is someone I do not know well."

Lee also hinted at the possibility of recovering 100% of development profits, stating, "If there was illegal trading, the agreement can naturally be terminated, and if terminated, the settlement must be restored to the original state, so it is possible to recover 100% of the development profits excluding the invested costs."