Prosecutors Conduct Search of Gyeonggi Provincial Office over Corporate Card Allegations... Lee Jae-myung Named as Suspect (Comprehensive)

The prosecution investigating allegations of 'misuse of corporate cards' related to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has launched a forced investigation.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is speaking at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 1st. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Public Investigation Division of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Dong-hee) sent more than 30 prosecutors and investigators to the southern and northern government offices of Gyeonggi Province located in Suwon and Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do, on the morning of the 4th to secure related materials. It is known that about 10 places, including the General Affairs Department and the Secretary's Office of the provincial government, were included in the targets of this search and seizure. There are also shops such as restaurants and fruit stores identified as places where the corporate card was used for personal purposes. It is reported that Lee, the representative, was named as a suspect of breach of trust in the search warrant issued that day.

Earlier, the prosecution received the case from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, which reviewed the report by whistleblower Jo Myeong-hyeon, and has been conducting an investigation. Jo reported, "The accused (Representative Lee Jae-myung) abused his position and authority as Governor of Gyeonggi Province and violated related laws by embezzling or instructing embezzlement of corporate cards that should have been used for official duties for personal use, or knowingly condoning the embezzlement to benefit his spouse," and requested an investigation into Lee.

He is the person who last year exposed that Kim Hye-kyung, Lee’s spouse, and Bae Mo, a former level 5 special employee in the General Affairs Department of the provincial government, misused the provincial government’s corporate card for personal expenses such as meals. Following his revelations, the prosecution and police have been investigating Kim and others on charges of breach of trust in office.

The prosecution has registered Lee as a suspect and has been conducting witness investigations of Gyeonggi provincial officials related to the use of the corporate card at that time. It is reported that after a search warrant request for the Gyeonggi provincial government was rejected by the court recently, the prosecution reapplied for the warrant after additional investigations and obtained approval from the court.

This is the first time the prosecution has launched a forced investigation into allegations of misuse of Gyeonggi Province’s corporate cards. Previously, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office conducted searches of the Gyeonggi provincial government regarding bribery and political fund allegations against former Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young and allegations of remittances to North Korea by Ssangbangwool Group.