Lee's 5th Prosecutor Appearance This Year... "Cabinet Must Resign" Government Criticism
Key Issue: Whether Representative Lee Knew About $8 Million Flowing to North Korea
Regarding the allegations of illegal remittances to North Korea by Ssangbangwool Group, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared at the prosecution office. This marks the fifth time this year that Lee has been summoned and investigated by the prosecution.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung is leaving the National Assembly in Yeouido on the morning of the 9th to head to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office for an investigation related to Ssangbangwool Group's alleged remittance to North Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Lee arrived at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office around 10:15 a.m. on the 9th and, before heading to the interrogation room, met with reporters saying, "The people are the nation itself, and those who deny popular sovereignty are anti-state forces." He added, "President Yoon Seok-yeol must apologize to the people for acts that destroy democracy, harm people's livelihoods, and undermine peace, which are acts of governance that deny popular sovereignty."
He continued, "The direction of state affairs must be completely changed, and the entire cabinet should resign to reform the government." He quoted the saying, "Flowers do not last ten days," meaning that power may seem strong and eternal, but it is only temporary. "History and truth show that regimes that do not fear the people are inevitably judged. Even if political prosecutors manipulate and distort facts, the truth can never be permanently hidden," he said.
When asked by reporters whether he had been briefed about the remittances to North Korea, Lee gave no response and proceeded to the interrogation room.
The Criminal Division 6 of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-nam) summoned Lee as a suspect on charges of bribery involving a third party and is conducting an investigation. The core of the investigation is whether Lee was aware that Ssangbangwool delivered a total of 8 million dollars to North Korea, including 5 million dollars in smart farm support funds on behalf of Gyeonggi Province and 3 million dollars for the then-Governor’s visit to North Korea.
The allegations of illegal remittances to North Korea by Ssangbangwool Group involve former Ssangbangwool Group Chairman Kim Sung-tae sending a total of 8 million dollars to North Korea in 2019. This included 5 million dollars for the North Korean smart farm support project, which Gyeonggi Province was supposed to fund at the request of former Gyeonggi Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young, and 3 million dollars for the then-Governor Lee Jae-myung’s visit to North Korea, which was requested by the North Korean side at the time.
Lee Hwa-young, who was arrested and indicted on charges of receiving bribes and political funds from former Chairman Kim, had denied the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance allegations but partially reversed his testimony during a prosecution investigation in June, stating that he had requested Ssangbangwool to facilitate the governor’s visit to North Korea.
He also reportedly testified that he had informed Lee Jae-myung at the time, saying, "Ssangbangwool spent money in North Korea while doing business, so I think they also took care of our (governor’s) visit."
A variable in the investigation on this day was Lee’s health condition, as he was on the 10th day of a hunger strike. Although the prosecution reportedly prepared about 700 questions spanning 150 pages, they prepared multiple versions of the questionnaire considering Lee’s health condition.
Additionally, the prosecution sought cooperation from Ajou University Hospital to have one doctor on standby in the waiting room next to the 15th-floor interrogation room and stationed an ambulance outside the building.
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