Woo Sang-ho: "Lee Jae-myung and Kim Hye-kyung unlikely to be indicted over 'corporate card allegations'"

"Not a case of direct orders or intervention... In reality, employees used the cards arbitrarily"
Party Charter Article 80 Amendment Proposal "Disciplinary action will not be taken for politically motivated prosecutions by the prosecution... No need to worry"

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Ju-yeon] Woo Sang-ho, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 23rd regarding the investigation into the 'corporate card misuse allegations' involving Kim Hye-kyung, wife of Lee Jae-myung, the party representative candidate, "I do not think there is a possibility that candidate Lee or his wife will be directly indicted."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In an interview on BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' that day, in response to the host's remark, "There are reports that Kim Hye-kyung's police appearance regarding the corporate card misuse allegations is imminent," Woo said, "I am well aware of that matter. I reviewed the details as the general headquarters chief during the presidential election, and we discussed it together during the process when the couple made a public apology."

Woo emphasized, "The corporate card issue was an inappropriate and wrongful act, but it was not a case where candidate Lee or Ms. Kim directly ordered or intervened." He added that the public apology made during last year's presidential election regarding the corporate card misuse allegations was done on a 'moral level.'

He explained, "In reality, the employees below arbitrarily used the card," and said, "Since I have experienced eating food purchased by a Grade 5 secretary and a Grade 7 secretary using such a corporate card, the apology was made on a moral basis, and there was never an instruction to use the card in that way."

Regarding some supporters' backlash against the proposed amendment to Article 80 of the party constitution, which deals with 'suspension of party duties upon indictment,' Woo said, "The decision has already been made through the party's Emergency Response Committee and the Party Affairs Committee, and since it will be decided at tomorrow's Central Committee meeting, it is difficult to reopen the discussion."

He added, "At least, it has been arranged so that disciplinary action will not be taken for cases where the prosecution politically indicts, so there is no need to worry much."

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