Lee Jae-myung's Second Prosecutor Investigation Ends After About 1 Hour 50 Minutes... Reviewing the Statement

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who appeared before the prosecution for the second time over allegations of remittances to North Korea involving Ssangbangwool Group, finished his investigation after 1 hour and 50 minutes and is currently reviewing the interrogation record.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is appearing at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi Province on the 12th to undergo investigation related to the suspicion of 'Ssangbangwool Group's remittance to North Korea.' Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

According to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office on the 12th, Lee underwent additional questioning related to the North Korea remittance allegations from 1:39 PM to 3:28 PM, including a break. The prosecution stated that considering Lee’s health condition, they conducted a swift investigation focusing on the core facts regarding the main charges. With this session, the prosecution plans to conclude the investigation into Lee’s charges related to the North Korea remittance allegations and review whether to request an arrest warrant.

Lee arrived at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office building around 1:21 PM that day and emphasized, "I am not foolish enough to commit such a serious crime as visiting North Korea and asking a gangster, an illegal loan shark, and a corrupt businessman?whom I do not even know?to pay a huge sum of 10 billion won to North Korea on my behalf," before heading to the interrogation room.

He also stated, "For two years, they have tried various angles such as paying my lawyer fees, smart farm expenses, and North Korea visit expenses, mobilizing a team the size of a single prosecutor’s office, dozens of prosecutors, and hundreds of investigators, conducting hundreds of raids and interrogating hundreds of people, but they have not found a single piece of evidence," adding, "That is because it is not true."

He continued, "No matter how much they try to call me and make me look like a criminal, a fact that does not exist cannot be created," emphasizing, "The people and history will judge and decide." He further requested, "I ask that more focus be placed on addressing the difficult livelihoods and economy that the people are experiencing, not neglecting the peace crisis on the Korean Peninsula, and protecting the lives and safety of the people," adding, "Governments are short-lived, but the people and history are eternal."

The allegations of remittances to North Korea involving Ssangbangwool Group concern former Ssangbangwool Group chairman Kim Sung-tae sending a total of 8 million dollars to North Korea, including 5 million dollars for the North Korean smart farm support project that Gyeonggi Province should have paid at the request of former Gyeonggi Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young in 2019, and 3 million dollars for the governor’s visit expenses to North Korea demanded by the North at that time.

The prosecution believes that Lee, under the pretext of humanitarian aid to North Korea, pushed for North Korea support such as smart farm assistance, saplings and flour worth about 1.5 billion won, and an additional 100,000 tons of rice to facilitate the governor’s visit to North Korea. Based on this judgment, the prosecution has registered Lee as a suspect on charges of bribery involving a third party.