Lee Jung-geun, Additional Charges for 'Bribery Using Nomination Rights' Allegation

Lee Jeong-geun, former Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is accused of receiving a large sum of money from a businessman in exchange for favors, is attending a detention hearing (warrant review) held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong on the morning of September 30. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Former Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Korea Lee Jeong-geun, who was detained and indicted on charges of accepting bribes amounting to 1 billion KRW, has been additionally indicted on charges of receiving money from prospective candidates ahead of the June 1 local elections.

According to the legal community on the 1st, the Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Sang-hyun) additionally indicted former Deputy Secretary-General Lee yesterday on charges including violation of the Public Official Election Act.

Lee, who was the head of the Seocho-gap district committee of the Democratic Party, is accused of accepting several million won by leveraging the nomination rights for the June 1 local elections. A former Seoul city council member and a former Seocho District council member were also brought to trial on the same charges. Two individuals who handed over the money were indicted for violating the Political Funds Act.

Earlier, Lee was indicted last September on charges of paying election workers amounts exceeding the legal limit during the March 9 by-election as the Democratic Party candidate for Seocho-gap district and is currently on trial.

Lee is also on trial for allegedly receiving 1 billion KRW in bribes from businessman Park, in exchange for various favors (charges include bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes).

Lee served as the head of Moon Jae-in’s presidential campaign headquarters during the 19th presidential election and as deputy head of Lee Jae-myung’s campaign headquarters during the 20th presidential election. He also ran as the Democratic Party candidate for Seoul Seocho-gap in the 2016 and 2020 general elections, as well as the March by-election this year.

The prosecution’s investigation into Democratic Party figures, triggered by Lee’s 'hundreds of millions bribery' case, is gaining momentum. Within the Democratic Party, there is a tense atmosphere as it is difficult to predict how many individuals will come under investigation, and the prosecution is being closely watched. Based on Lee’s indictment, a so-called 'Lee Jeong-geun list' is circulating, identifying individuals who are expected to face prosecution in the future.