Handwritten Statement Released from Prison
The ruling and opposition parties engaged in a heated debate over the reversal of testimony by former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young, who was arrested and indicted in connection with the Ssangbangwool Group's remittance to North Korea case.
It was reported that Deputy Governor Lee partially reversed his previous stance during the prosecution investigation, stating that Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, had requested Ssangbangwool to promote a visit to North Korea during his tenure as Gyeonggi Province governor. However, through his lawyer, he issued a handwritten statement denying the claim as groundless.
Kim Min-soo, spokesperson for the People Power Party, criticized, "Recently, a metropolitan area lawmaker considered a close aide to Representative Lee conveyed to Deputy Governor Lee's side that the Democratic Party would provide maximum support. Subsequently, a petition from Deputy Governor Lee's wife and a letter from Lee himself from prison, which contradict his previous statements, were released through the Democratic Party," calling it "circumstances that raise suspicion of coercion."
Spokesperson Kim added, "When the judicial risk involving Representative Lee reaches right under his chin, why do absurd events more ridiculous than a soap opera suddenly materialize?" and condemned it as "coerced prison protection."
Park Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, emphasized, "The prosecution-originated news claiming that Deputy Governor Lee reversed his testimony and requested Ssangbangwool to cover expenses for Representative Lee's visit to North Korea is fiction," and stated, "Deputy Governor Lee declared in his handwritten letter that such facts do not exist."
Spokesperson Park said, "The prosecution cannot avoid criticism for arbitrarily distorting the truth and spreading it to the media. Not only fabricating testimony but also leaking fabricated statements to the media to mislead public opinion? If you have a conscience, explain it," and warned, "We warn the prosecution. Immediately stop the fabricated investigation."
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