Members of the National Assembly's Administration Committee Visit Financial Supervisory Service in Protest... Targeting 'Sambutogeon Allegations'

Opposition lawmakers belonging to the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee visited the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) on the 10th to urge a swift investigation into the 'Sambu Construction stock manipulation allegations.'

Democratic Party members of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee visited the Financial Supervisory Service in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 10th to protest and urge a swift investigation into the Samboo Construction stock manipulation case. Yonhap News

Ten Democratic Party members of the Political Affairs Committee, including Kang Jun-hyun, the opposition whip, held a press conference in the lobby on the first floor of the FSS building in Yeouido, Seoul, that morning, stating, "Recently, Director Lee Bok-hyun confirmed that there was about 10 billion won in capital gains through stock manipulation related to Sambu Construction," and added, "The Democratic Party has had many suspicions, and we visited today to demand a prompt investigation of those suspicions."

They said, "It seems necessary to clearly investigate whether any specific forces related to the Yoon Seok-yeol administration were involved, or whether First Lady Kim Keon-hee was implicated," and added, "The FSS Director must choose between conducting a thorough investigation to uphold market order and protect investors or merely kowtowing to political power."

Originally, they were scheduled to meet with Lee Bok-hyun, the Director of the Financial Supervisory Service. However, as Director Lee was absent due to another appointment that morning, the meeting was held with Deputy Director Lee Se-hoon instead.

After the meeting, Representative Kang told reporters, "In the end, we could not meet Director Lee. As a former prosecutor, it seems he has done many wrong things," and added, "It feels like he is ignoring the National Assembly and trying to evade responsibility."

Representative Min Byung-duk said, "I suspect that the FSS, which lacks compulsory investigative authority, is merely stalling and dragging out the case," and added, "The case should be promptly transferred to the Financial Services Commission or the prosecution, which have compulsory investigative powers, so that they can examine the suspects' mobile phones and computers."

Regarding the Democratic Party lawmakers' claims that the case should be handed over to the prosecution and the Financial Services Commission, the FSS reportedly responded, according to Representative Min, that "some level of evidence collection is necessary to trigger the compulsory investigative powers of the prosecution and the Financial Services Commission, but there are difficulties in gathering such evidence."