"If Only You Didn't Lie" · Addressed as "Mr. Lee Jae-myung"... Yudonggyu Meets Lee Jae-myung for the First Time

Former Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, who turned his back on close aides and made explosive statements related to the Daejang-dong development corruption scandal, faced Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, in court for the first time on the 31st.

Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, is appearing as a witness at the trial of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 31st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

Yoo appeared as a witness at Lee's trial that day. Lee was also on trial for charges including making false statements that he did not know the late Kim Moon-gi, former head of Development Division 1 at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam (violation of the Public Official Election Act). Yoo, who seemed to be well aware of the relationship between Lee and Kim, was called as a witness, leading to their meeting in court.

Although there were expectations of a heated reaction, the two remained relatively calm during the trial. Lee occasionally glanced at Yoo or observed his expressions but said little. Yoo also appeared to avoid Lee’s gaze.

Yoo Dong-gyu Opens with "I Wish You Would Stop Lying"

Yoo arrived at the courthouse around 9:29 a.m. and immediately opened fire. When asked about his feelings ahead of facing Lee, he sharply said, "I have nothing special to say, but I wish (Lee) would stop lying."

On the other hand, Lee arrived five minutes before the trial began and entered the courthouse with his lips tightly sealed. He did not respond to reporters’ questions such as "How do you feel about facing Yoo for the first time?" or "What do you think about Yoo’s claim that you and Kim boarded a yacht separately during the Australia trip?" An elderly man in his 80s threw two eggs at Lee but missed. The man was arrested on the spot by police officers and court staff as a suspect caught in the act.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is accused of spreading false information under the Public Official Election Act, is attending a trial held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 31st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Throughout Testimony, Addressed as "Mr. Lee Jae-myung"

During the trial, Yoo mainly testified about the relationship between Lee and Kim. He addressed Lee as "Mr. Lee Jae-myung," maintaining some distance.

First, the prosecution presented a news article covering a briefing session on the remodeling of the new town in Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in March 2010, and asked, "The defendant (Lee), who was a candidate for mayor of Seongnam at the time, also attended the briefing session, and didn’t Kim Moon-gi attend as well?" Yoo replied, "I understand both attended."

Yoo added, "I heard from Kim Moon-gi that he had a separate phone call with Mr. Lee Jae-myung," and "I was the event organizer and was very busy, so I don’t know if they talked separately at the briefing session."

When the prosecution asked, "Under what circumstances did you hear that Kim said he had a separate phone call with defendant Lee Jae-myung?" Yoo explained, "When someone asked who would come to the event, I said Mr. Lee Jae-myung would come, and then (Kim) said he also talked with me." He added, "They seemed to know each other somewhat since they met at the seminar."

Yoo further explained that in August 2009, both Kim and Lee attended a seminar hosted by the Seongnam Policy Research Institute, where he was co-representative. At that time, Yoo was the chairman of the remodeling promotion committee for an apartment in Seongnam, and Kim was the head of the remodeling sales department at a construction company.

The trial was adjourned after Yoo complained of eye pain. The trial will resume on the 14th of next month with Yoo’s cross-examination as a witness.