With "What to Do About Summoning Ssangbangwool Chairman"... Lee Jae-myung's Judicial Risk 'Fierce Attack'

"Continued Reports on Close Associate Ssangbangwool Outside Director
'Trial Manipulation Suspicion' Case Must Be Revealed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] On the 16th, the People Power Party launched a fierce attack on the judicial risks of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, a day before the domestic extradition of Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangwool, who is suspected of paying Lee’s legal fees.

Jung Jin-seok, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the 16th and delivering an opening remark. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

At the emergency committee meeting held that day, Kim Jong-hyuk, a member of the emergency committee, said, "The detained former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young also served as an advisor and director of Ssangbangwool, and a former aide to former leader Lee Hae-chan is still serving as an outside director of Ssangbangwool," adding, "Close associates and legal representatives are all connected to Ssangbangwool, but Lee Jae-myung and Kim Sung-tae claim they do not know each other. Who would believe that?"

Kim Byung-min, another emergency committee member, said, "Nam Wook, who defended Lee during the presidential election, changed his stance after the election and confessed, 'I thought Candidate Lee would become president. I believed that lining up with 2 billion won would be a cheap deal,'" pointing out, "If Lee had become president, not only would the judicial punishment of the Daejang-dong gang have been impossible, but we might have had to live with the truth buried in a Korea where these people run rampant, and watch gangsters posing as businessmen under the protection of politicians thrive."

The ruling party also sharpened its stance on Lee’s alleged 'trial deal.' Assemblyman Jeong Jeom-sik said, "According to recent media reports, there was a statement that Kim Man-bae said he asked former Supreme Court Justice Kwon Soon-il to handle Lee’s election law violation case so that it could be overturned at the Supreme Court," adding, "If the suspicion of a trial deal in the election law violation case is true, it is a serious act of national disorder where the judiciary engaged in political acts to revive the political life of a then-powerful ruling party politician and allowed someone who should not have been able to run for president to do so."

Assemblywoman Jeon Ju-hye also referred to Lee’s election law violation case, saying, "It is known in the legal community as an unusual ruling," and urged, "Former Justice Kwon was identified as the core figure in the trial deal suspicion, but only two summons investigations have been conducted so far. Although it is late, now that specific testimonies have emerged, the prosecution should conduct a thorough investigation and promptly clarify the truth of the case."