Ewhayoung Lee Appears Before Prosecution Over 'North Korea Remittance'... Likely to Deny 'Demand for Smart Farm Cost Payment'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Lee Hwa-young, former Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, who was arrested and indicted on charges of receiving bribes worth hundreds of millions of won from Ssangbangwool Group, was summoned and is being investigated by the prosecution on the 15th in connection with the 'North Korea remittance' case.

The Criminal Division 6 of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-nam) called Lee, former deputy governor, around 10 a.m. on the same day to investigate him on charges including violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act.

Former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 3rd, when the prosecution indicted Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, the indictment named Lee as an accomplice in violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. According to this, Kim is accused of delivering a total of 8 million dollars to North Korea in 2019 (5 million dollars for the smart farm support project in Gyeonggi Province and 3 million dollars for the travel expenses of then-Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung’s visit to North Korea). The prosecution believes that the smart farm support project funds for North Korea from Gyeonggi Province were requested to be paid on behalf of by Lee to Kim.

The prosecution also stated in the indictment that Kim received a request from Lee saying, "If the smart farm costs are not paid to North Korea, future inter-Korean projects in Gyeonggi Province will become difficult. Ssangbangwool Group should support the smart farm costs to North Korea on behalf of Gyeonggi Province."

Lee has consistently denied any connection with Ssangbangwool’s remittance to North Korea. Before attending the prosecution investigation on the morning of the same day, lawyer Hyun Geun-taek told reporters, "Kim was introduced to North Korean officials through Ahn Bu-su, chairman of the Asia-Pacific Peace Exchange Association, and remitted funds to the North according to mutual interests. Lee is expected to testify that he 'does not know anything about this.'"

Regarding the allegation that Kim contacted Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, through Lee, he also said, "This has already been addressed in media reports. It is not true."