Kim Hye-kyung Denies Charges in First Trial... "Completely Unaware of Corporate Card Payments"

Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, completely denied the allegations at the first trial on the 26th.

Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who was indicted on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act related to the 20th presidential election in 2022, is leaving the courthouse after the first trial held at the Suwon District Court in Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 26th.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Criminal Division 13 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Park Jeong-ho) held the first hearing on Kim's charges of violating the Public Official Election Act at 2 p.m. that day. Kim's defense attorney stated, "Kim, as the spouse of Lee Jae-myung, has experienced multiple elections," and added, "During the presidential election primaries and general election period, she never paid for or received payment for meals on behalf of others."

He continued, "At that time, Kim thought that other attendees also paid their own bills, and she was completely unaware that the Gyeonggi-do corporate card was used to pay for meals for three other attendees," emphasizing, "There was absolutely no reason for Kim, who always paid separately during the election period, to engage in any risky behavior."

Additionally, the defense attorney said, "In the trial of Bae, a former special-appointed public official at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, who was already presented as evidence, the conversation between Bae and secretary Jo at that time included instructions from Bae to Jo to pay for meals using the corporate card without Kim knowing."

The prosecution stated, "In future trials, we will prove that Bae's duty was to assist Kim, not Lee Jae-myung, and that he assisted in extremely private matters," adding, "Evidence will reveal that Bae regularly carried out party primary schedules and paid for lunch expenses under Kim's instructions."

Kim is accused of providing meals worth approximately 100,000 won (a donation act) on August 2, 2021, at a restaurant in Seoul to six people, including spouses of Democratic Party members of the National Assembly, Gyeonggi Provincial Government officials, and lawyers.

Meanwhile, regarding the allegations of misuse of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government corporate card that surfaced before the last presidential election, the sentence of Bae, a former grade 5 public official of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government who was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the first and second trials on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act, has been finalized. Bae, who received a 10-month prison sentence with a 2-year suspension in the second trial, the same as in the first trial, gave up his appeal to the Supreme Court.