Prosecutors Transfer 'Sex Bribery Allegation' Case Against Lee Jun-seok to Police... "Not Subject to Direct Prosecutorial Investigation"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] The prosecution has transferred all cases related to allegations that Lee Jun-seok, the leader of the People Power Party, received sexual bribery in the past to the police.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the prosecution on the 8th, the Anti-Corruption and Strong Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Yong-hwan) transferred the cases filed by the civic groups Seomin Minsaeng Countermeasure Committee, the Judicial Examination Preparation Group, and the YouTube channel Garoseoro Research Institute (Gaseyeon) against Lee to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency the day before.

According to a prosecution official, this was considered because the cases did not fall under crimes subject to direct investigation by the prosecution.

Under the prosecution-police investigation authority adjustment implemented since last year, the prosecution can only directly investigate six major crimes: corruption, economic crimes, public officials, elections, defense projects, and large-scale disasters, as well as crimes committed by police officers.

In particular, corruption crimes subject to direct investigation by the prosecution are limited to bribery involving amounts of 30 million KRW or more, and violations of the Political Funds Act or acceptance of brokerage fees of 50 million KRW or more.

Earlier, on December 27 last year, Gaseyeon claimed on YouTube that "Lee received sexual bribery worth 1.3 million KRW from Kim Seong-jin, CEO of iKist, at a hotel in Daejeon in August 2013," presenting part of the investigation records from the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office as evidence.

Gaseyeon alleged that Lee, who was a member of the Emergency Committee of the Grand National Party (the predecessor of the People Power Party) at the time, received sexual favors, a cosmetics set worth 9 million KRW, and holiday gifts worth 2.5 million KRW from Kim under the pretext of mediating to former President Park Geun-hye, and filed a complaint with the prosecution for violations of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes for brokerage fees and the Political Funds Act.

Additionally, the Seomin Minsaeng Countermeasure Committee and the Judicial Examination Preparation Group also filed complaints against Lee with the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, respectively, and both cases were assigned to the Anti-Corruption and Strong Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.

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