'Lee Jun-seok Sexual Bribery Allegation' Kim Sung-jin's Side "Discussed Pardon During Hospitality"

Kim side claims to have entertained Lee with hundreds of thousands of won worth of hospitality

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Kim Sung-jin, CEO of iKist, who is under police investigation for allegedly providing sexual favors and other hospitality to former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, claimed that he entertained Lee with several million won worth of hospitality in 2014 to secure a pardon for SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won.

Kim's legal representative, lawyer Kang Shin-up, said this on the 18th during the police's sixth interview session, speaking to reporters in front of the Seoul Detention Center.

According to lawyer Kang, Kim testified during the police investigation that on November 15, 2014, he spent 1.95 million won on a meal with Lee and five others, and later drank a 300,000 won bottle of wine with Lee at a subsequent drinking session.

Lawyer Kang explained, "The reason for the generous hospitality that day was to persuade Lee Jun-seok to facilitate Chairman Chey Tae-won's pardon," adding, "If Chairman Chey helped Kim's business, iKist could grow explosively."

Kim also revealed that he met Lee twice more in November and December of the same year, providing meals and gifts, spending about 4.2 million won in total.

Lawyer Kang said, "They prepared extensively to finalize the pardon issue in December, but since Lee did not give a definite answer, Kim thought 'it has become difficult.'"

Around the end of that year, Lee contacted Kim first, saying, "Let's push forward with what we talked about last time," and they had an in-depth discussion about the pardon efforts on January 6 of the following year, according to Kang.

Chairman Chey, who had been sentenced to four years in prison on charges including embezzlement, was released after serving two years and seven months following a special pardon on Liberation Day in August 2015.

Kim also testified that at Lee's request, he introduced female singer A to Lee on June 7, 2014.