[Breaking] Kim Seong-tae Accepts Testimony on 'Lee Jae-myung's North Korea Visit Expenses Paid'... Rejects Lee Hwa-young's Objection

On the 7th at 2 p.m., the first trial sentencing hearing was held at Suwon District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Shin Jin-woo) for former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young on charges including violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), violation of the Political Funds Act, and obstruction of justice. The court recognized the credibility of former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Sung-tae's testimony regarding the allegation that Lee, during Lee Jae-myung's tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi Province, requested Kim to cover Lee Jae-myung's North Korea visit expenses amounting to 3 million dollars, while dismissing the defense arguments of former Deputy Governor Lee.

The court judged that from the perspective of former Chairman Kim Sung-tae, who had already supported 5 million dollars for the smart farm project, there was no reason to provide additional funds to North Korea.

In response, former Deputy Governor Lee's side argued that Lee Jae-myung, who had been sentenced to a fine of 3 million won corresponding to disqualification from election due to violation of the Public Official Election Act at the time, had no reason to pursue such illegal activities. However, the court rejected this defense, stating that the initial acquittal in the first trial was later changed in the second trial, but no final guilty verdict had yet been confirmed.

Former Deputy Governor Lee was arrested and indicted in October 2022 on charges of receiving bribes amounting to hundreds of millions of won and illegal political funds by being provided with corporate cards and vehicles from the Ssangbangwool Group from July 2018 to July 2022, and by paying false salaries to his associates.

During the trial, in March of last year, he was additionally indicted on charges of requesting former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Sung-tae to cover a total of 8 million dollars, including 5 million dollars promised by Gyeonggi Province for the smart farm project to North Korea and 3 million dollars for Lee Jae-myung's North Korea visit expenses.

One month later, in April of last year, he was further indicted on charges of requesting Ssangbangwool Vice Chairman Bang Yong-chul to delete materials related to his use of corporate cards ahead of the prosecution's investigation.