[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The prosecution has handed over the complaint case related to the alleged misuse of corporate cards by Kim Hye-kyung, wife of Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, to the police.
According to the legal community on the 11th, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office transferred the case, in which the People Power Party filed a complaint with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 3rd against Lee, Kim, former Gyeonggi Provincial Office official Bae, Lee’s secretary during his time as mayor of Seongnam Baek, and a doctor from the Gyeonggi Provincial Office medical room?a total of five people?to the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency.
The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office reportedly decided to transfer the case because most of the allegations do not fall under the six areas subject to direct prosecution investigation (corruption, economy, public officials, elections, defense projects, large-scale disasters) but fall within the scope of police investigation.
Earlier, the People Power Party filed a complaint in December last year against Lee, Kim, and Bae on charges including abuse of authority and loss of public funds. The party alleged that Kim used public officials for personal errands such as food delivery and household chores, paid for personal meals with the Gyeonggi Province corporate card, and illegally obtained prescriptions under other people's names. They demanded an investigation on charges including abuse of authority, coercion, violation of the Medical Service Act, forgery and use of false documents, loss of public funds, obstruction of business, and destruction of evidence.
They also claimed that Kim had Bae as her secretary for three years starting in 2018 during Lee’s tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province, criticizing, "Isn't the three years' salary of the official, paid with taxpayers' money, used for 'Kim Hye-kyung’s protocol'?" Following recent media reports raising suspicions about Kim’s misuse of corporate cards, the People Power Party filed additional complaints.
While the police investigation and Gyeonggi Province audit are ongoing, Kim issued a public apology on the 9th regarding the various allegations against her, stating, "I will do my best to ensure that the truth is revealed through the investigation and audit."
Meanwhile, the prosecution also transferred to the police the complaint filed by the civic group Legal Action for Establishing the Rule of Law (Beopse-ryeon) on the 30th of last month, requesting a reinvestigation of the 'Hye-gyeong-gung Kim' allegations.
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