Jung Jin-sang, Chief of Political Coordination at the Office of the Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, closed his eyes while responding to reporters' questions as he attended the detention hearing (warrant review) held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu on the 18th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Jeong Jinsang, the Chief Political Coordination Officer of the Party Representative Office and a close aide to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, requested the court to reconsider whether his detention was justified, but the court rejected the request on the 24th.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Appeal Division 4-1 (Presiding Judge Yang Jijeong, Jeon Yeonsuk, Cha Eunkyung) held a detention review hearing for Jeong the previous day and dismissed the request on the day. The court stated, "Based on the hearing results and related records, this request is recognized as 'without reason,'" and "Accordingly, it is dismissed pursuant to Article 214-2, Paragraph 4 of the Criminal Procedure Act."
A detention review is a procedure where a detained suspect asks the court to reassess the legality of their detention. Upon receiving a detention review request, the court must interrogate the arrested or detained suspect and examine investigation-related documents and evidence within 48 hours from the receipt of the request. If the court finds the request groundless, it dismisses it by decision; if it finds the request justified, it orders the suspect's release.
Jeong is accused of receiving bribes totaling 140 million KRW in six installments from the Daejang-dong group between February 2013 and October 2020 (bribery under the Special Act on the Punishment of Specific Crimes), and promising with Kim, the Deputy Director, and Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, to share approximately 42.8 billion KRW in development profits from Daejang-dong with Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, in exchange for selecting the Daejang-dong developer (bribery after fraudulent acts).
He is also charged with leaking internal secrets of Seongnam City and Seongnam Urban Development Corporation to private contractors including lawyer Nam Wook between July 2013 and March 2017, enabling them to be selected as developers for the Wirye New Town project, allowing Hoban Construction to implement and construct the project, thereby obtaining development profits worth approximately 21 billion KRW (violation of the Anti-Corruption Act). Additionally, he is accused of instructing former Director Yoo to throw his mobile phone out the window to destroy evidence ahead of a prosecution raid on September 29 last year (obstruction of evidence).
The court issued an arrest warrant for Jeong on the 19th, citing concerns over evidence destruction and flight risk. Following the indictment and detention of Kim Yong, Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute and another close aide to Lee, Jeong, known as Lee’s "right-hand man," has also been detained.
Meanwhile, Ahn Hoyoung, the Democratic Party’s Chief Spokesperson, released an official statement via text message, saying, "Kim, who was detained, expressed his intention to resign due to difficulties in performing party duties, and the party accepted it." Regarding Jeong, Ahn stated, "(Similarly) he has expressed his intention to resign, but since he is undergoing a detention review, we will wait for the outcome and make a decision later."
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