Prosecutors Request Arrest Warrant for Representative Lee Jae-myung... 1 Year and 6 Months Since Investigation Began

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the 1st plenary meeting of the Basic Social Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 14th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] On the 16th, the prosecution filed an arrest warrant for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on charges of breach of trust involving approximately 480 billion won. This comes one year and six months after the investigation into suspicions related to the Daejang-dong urban development project began.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 (Chief Prosecutor Eom Hee-jun) and Division 3 (Chief Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin) announced that on the morning of the same day, they filed an arrest warrant against Lee for breach of trust causing damage to Seongnam City and Seongnam Urban Development Corporation during the Daejang-dong urban development project while he was mayor of Seongnam. The prosecution also applied charges of violating the Public Officials Conflict of Interest Prevention Act in connection with the Daejang-dong case. The prosecution calculated the scale of Lee's breach of trust at 489.5 billion won.

Regarding the preferential treatment suspicions in the Wirye New Town development project, charges of violating the Anti-Corruption Act were applied, and for suspicions related to Seongnam FC sponsorship funds, charges of bribery by a third party were specified. In relation to the Seongnam FC case, bribery charges were applied to 13.35 billion won sponsored by four of the six companies involved in the suspicions.

Accordingly, the Seoul Central District Court is expected to submit a request for consent to arrest to the Ministry of Justice soon. Upon receiving this, the Ministry of Justice must obtain the president's approval and then forward the request to the National Assembly. After the Speaker of the National Assembly receives the request, it must be reported at the first plenary session convened and then a plenary session must be held within 72 hours for a secret ballot vote. According to political and legal circles, the vote on the consent to arrest Lee is likely to take place on the 24th, when the plenary session is scheduled. Before the vote, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon and Lee will present their positions before the members of the National Assembly.