Prosecutors Conduct First Search of Seongnam City Hall Mayor's Office and Secretary's Office... Data Acquisition Uncertain (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution investigating the preferential treatment and lobbying allegations related to the Daejang-dong development project conducted its first search and seizure of the mayor's office and secretariat at Seongnam City Hall on the 21st.

The dedicated investigation team of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon) sent 23 personnel, including prosecutors and investigators, to Seongnam City Hall in the afternoon to secure related materials from the mayor's office and secretariat.

The prosecution is searching the computers in the mayor's office and secretariat for any remaining data related to the Daejang-dong development and is also reviewing past work logs of the staff.

However, it is uncertain whether any meaningful materials remain. The timing of the search was late, and since current Seongnam Mayor Eun Soo-mi has been in office for three years, with the secretariat staff completely replaced, it is highly likely that some of the materials from when Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung was mayor are no longer available.

Although the prosecution has conducted four previous search and seizures at Seongnam City Hall since the 15th, this is the first time they have inspected the mayor's office and secretariat. The prosecution has faced criticism for repeatedly excluding these offices from the search targets.

While conducting the search at Seongnam City Hall, the prosecution also summoned and questioned the so-called "Daejang-dong Four"?former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu, Hwacheon Daeyu major shareholder Kim Man-bae, lawyer Nam Wook, and accountant Jung Young-hak?one after another. It is seen as an effort to strengthen charges ahead of Yoo's indictment. At the same time, they are reportedly focusing on proving the breach of trust charges against key figures.

With the search extending to the mayor's office at Seongnam City Hall, attention is focused on whether the prosecution's scrutiny will reach Governor Lee Jae-myung.

Earlier, on the 14th, Seoul Central District Prosecutor General Lee Jung-soo clearly stated at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee hearing that since then-mayor Lee Jae-myung of Gyeonggi Province was also reported, he falls within the scope of the investigation.

At the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee hearing on the 18th, Governor Lee responded to a question about the clause for recovering excess profits being included in the agreement and then deleted within seven hours by saying, "It was not deleted; rather, I did not accept a frontline staff member's suggestion to add it. That is the fact."

When controversy arose in political and legal circles that this statement amounted to a confession of breach of trust, Governor Lee said at the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee hearing the day before, "I am not saying that I made that decision at the time. I learned that such discussions were happening among internal staff recently due to media reports. At that time, I had never heard of it."