Kim Hye-kyung's Former Aide, "Instructed Not to Pay for Others' Meals"

"The prosecution didn't ask, so I didn't say anything" explanation

Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who is under investigation for alleged violations of election laws, reportedly instructed her chief aide to "charge only her own meals to the election campaign and not to pay for others' meals." The prosecution raised concerns that this key testimony was not mentioned during earlier investigations, but the witness stated, "I did not answer because I was not asked," leading to a dispute.

Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

On the 1st, at the 10th trial session of Kim’s case involving violations of the Public Official Election Act (prohibited donations) held before the Criminal Division 13 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Park Jeong-ho), A, a former chief aide from Lee’s presidential primary election campaign, appeared as a witness. A testified, "When I first started serving, Mrs. Kim told me, 'Only your own meal expenses should be paid with the election campaign card. You must strictly follow this rule,'" adding, "After that, I handled the payments myself."

Previously, Kim was indicted for providing a total of 104,000 won to cover meals for three spouses of current and former lawmakers and two campaign staff members who served her during a meal at a Chinese restaurant in Seoul on August 2, 2021.

The allegation surfaced after B, a former Gyeonggi Province public official, made a public interest report. B claimed to have received such payment instructions from Bae, another former Gyeonggi Province official suspected of privately serving Kim.

Former Aide: "The Election Team Always Conducted a Secondary Review"

Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, attending the trial.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The prosecution has investigated Kim and Bae as accomplices. However, Kim’s side denies the charges, stating, "We were completely unaware that the meal expenses for the three accompanying persons were paid using the Gyeonggi Province corporate card."

Amid sharply contrasting positions between the prosecution and Kim’s defense, A’s testimony in court about directly serving Kim at the restaurant during the incident lent more weight to Kim’s claims. When the defense attorney asked, "You said you served the defendant for about a month. Aside from the initial instructions, did you ever discuss meal payments with the defendant?" A replied, "At first, she only gave me the principle to follow, and after that, I handled all the payments," adding, "The election team always conducted a secondary review afterward." Although A attended the 9th trial session, this was the first time he made such statements.

The prosecution questioned why such important testimony had not been mentioned during previous investigations or trials. When asked, "Why have you never testified about this before?" A answered, "Because I was not specifically asked." The prosecutor pressed further, "This seems like key testimony that could absolve the defendant’s responsibility. There were multiple opportunities to testify during police investigations, Bae’s earlier trial, and the main examination in this case. Why are you testifying only now?" A explained, "I am not answering with that intention."

When asked where he heard about the principle, A said, "I think it was in the car, but I don’t remember exactly," adding, "At the time, it seemed like just a request, so I didn’t think it was particularly important."

Additionally, during cross-examination by the prosecution, the defense attorney showed A a large number of recorded transcripts in a short time, and A responded relatively quickly. The prosecutor asked, "When the defense attorney showed multiple transcripts, I couldn’t keep up with the speed, but you answered quickly. Did you discuss or consult with the defendant or defense counsel about your testimony before today’s hearing?" A answered, "No."

Kim Hye-kyung’s 'Cooking Rice' Tops Bestseller List

The book cover of "Let's Cook Rice," written by Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.
[Photo by Kyobo Bookstore]

Meanwhile, to help cover former leader Lee’s legal expenses, a book-buying campaign for Kim’s book has emerged among his staunch supporters, propelling her book to bestseller status. Kim’s book, Cooking Rice, published in 2018, reached number one on real-time bestseller lists on book platforms such as Kyobo Book Centre and Yes24 as of the 28th of last month, and continues to hold a high rating of 9.5 out of 10.

This situation arose after the progressive-leaning YouTube channel "Saenal" suggested, "Since Lee’s legal expenses are tight, we should support him by buying the book." The channel claimed that Lee attends court three to four times a week and that legal fees are substantial, and encouraged viewers to "help (Lee) even through purchasing the book," providing a link to Kim’s book.

Lee is currently facing four trials related to seven cases, including violations of the Public Official Election Act. With the party leadership election scheduled for August, where he plans to run for re-election as party leader, it is expected that significant costs related to legal defense and the election will be incurred.