United Future Party: "Cheong Wa Dae Must Answer Lee Hyuk-jin Allegations... How Did He Leave the Country and Attend Presidential Event?"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 13th, the United Future Party stated that the Blue House must respond to suspicions related to former CEO Lee Hyuk-jin, the founder of Optimus Asset Management, which caused a 500 billion won-scale redemption suspension incident.

Yoo Ui-dong, a United Future Party lawmaker, and members of the Special Committee for Prevention of Private Equity Fund Corruption and Victim Relief held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the same day, saying, "Former CEO Lee, who was the previous head of Optimus Asset Management, is a key figure in the recently emerging private equity fund incident."

He demanded that the Blue House provide detailed answers regarding ▲how former CEO Lee was able to leave the country ▲how he was able to attend presidential events ▲if, as the Blue House explained, he traveled to the local sites at his own expense, on what dates and flights did he travel to Vietnam and the UAE ▲and what efforts will be made to secure his custody, such as passport invalidation.

Lawmaker Yoo pointed out, "Former CEO Lee had been on trial for embezzlement and other charges related to a separate case from this fund incident since March 2018, yet he quietly fled overseas," adding, "What is even more incomprehensible is that this individual appeared without any sanctions at the local events during the President's Vietnam and United Arab Emirates (UAE) tours in 2018."

Yoo said, "Former CEO Lee is currently actively engaged in economic activities based in California, USA, and recently has even appeared in the media, boldly asserting his innocence," adding, "Because situations related to former CEO Lee that defy common sense continue, the public cannot help but suspect rumors of collusion between Lee and influential figures in the administration."

He continued, "The private equity fund losses are the tears of the people, and the tears of thousands of victims must not be ignored," adding, "While pre-compensation of the damages is meaningful, it is also important to uncover the substantive truth about how this incident escalated and to resolve the public's doubts."

Yoo emphasized, "The demands we are making now are not unreasonable," adding, "They are common-sense and basic matters, and I do not think they will avoid responding to these."

Earlier, Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, also demanded the convening of the Political Affairs Committee to discuss private equity fund issues such as Optimus and Lime, but was rejected, criticizing the Democratic Party of Korea for being lukewarm in resolving the problem. Lawmaker Yoo said, "(The reason for the Democratic Party's rejection) I am not sure because I am not the Political Affairs Committee secretary, but realistically, the Democratic Party is lukewarm in approaching this issue," adding, "The special committee is hearing many stories through various channels and making efforts to approach the substantive truth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.