Prosecutors Coordinate Summons for Jeong Jin-sang Regarding 'Daejang-dong Allegations'... Jeong Says "Not Refusing to Appear"

Allegations Raised Including Embezzlement Involvement and Coercion of Hwang Mu-seong's Resignation

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] The dedicated investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Tae-hoon) investigating allegations of lobbying and preferential treatment in the Daejang-dong development project is coordinating the summons schedule for Jeong Jin-sang, Deputy Chief of the Secretariat of the Democratic Party's presidential campaign committee.

On the 28th, after media reports claimed that Deputy Chief Jeong was refusing to comply with the prosecution's summons, the Democratic Party sent a text message to reporters stating, "The reports that he is refusing to appear before the prosecution are not true." They further explained, "We have already submitted a written opinion regarding the prosecution appearance and are currently coordinating the date of appearance."

In this regard, a prosecution official said, "We are unable to confirm matters related to the summons or appearance of persons involved in the case."

Deputy Chief Jeong is considered a close aide to Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party's presidential candidate. During the Daejang-dong project, he served as the Policy Director of Seongnam City, assisting Lee, who was then the mayor of Seongnam.

His name appeared multiple times in the approval lines of various Daejang-dong project documents, including the 2016 Seongnam Pangyo Daejang Urban Development Project plan change and implementation plan approval reports.

Because of this, the prosecution has viewed Deputy Chief Jeong as part of the 'upper echelon' of the Daejang-dong breach of trust allegations, which could extend to candidate Lee, and has been considering summoning him for questioning.

Deputy Chief Jeong is also suspected of being involved in the mid-term resignation of Hwang Moo-sung, the first president of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, in 2015.

He appears under the name 'Deputy Chief Jeong' in a recorded conversation between the late Hwang and Yoo Han-gi, the former head of the corporation's development business division, who has also passed away. In the recording, Yoo mentions 'Mayor' and 'Deputy Chief Jeong' while urging Hwang to resign.

The statute of limitations for this case expires in February next year.

The prosecution had planned to secure custody of former head Yoo first and then summon Deputy Chief Jeong regarding the 'resignation coercion allegations,' but the schedule was somewhat delayed after Yoo took his own life in the early hours of the 10th of this month.

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