Prosecutors Conduct Search and Seizure at Bar Ethics Association Over Allegations of 'Lee Jae-myung's Lawyer Fee Payment'

Lee Jae-myung, Democratic Party presidential candidate / Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The prosecution investigating the 'allegation of lawyer fee payment on behalf' involving Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party presidential candidate, has reportedly conducted a search and seizure at the Legal Ethics Council. The Legal Ethics Council is an organization that receives and reviews lists of lawyers who have taken on a certain number of cases and the details of those cases.

According to legal circles on the 16th, the Public Investigation Division of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Jonghyun) conducted a search and seizure at the Legal Ethics Council office located in Seocho-gu, Seoul, the previous day. It is also reported that the prosecution simultaneously searched a tax office in the Seoul area.

The purpose of this search and seizure is understood to be to accurately ascertain the details of the case through the records of law firms and lawyers appointed during the trial process for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act, for which Lee was indicted and tried from the end of 2018 after being elected governor of Gyeonggi Province until last year.

Meanwhile, on the 7th of last month, the Awake Citizens Solidarity Party filed a complaint with the prosecution, raising suspicions that the lawyer fees for Lee were much larger than publicly known and that the payment was made by a party other than Lee's side.

On the 18th of last month, Lee appeared at the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee audit and stated, "I have paid all the lawyer fees (about 250 million won)," adding, "I agree to any account tracing without the need for police or prosecution search and seizure. Do it as much as you want."

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