'Corporate Card Misuse Allegation' Kim Hye-kyung to Appear at Prosecutors' Office on the Afternoon of the 7th...Long Investigation Expected

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Kim Hye-kyung, spouse of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is suspected of misusing a corporate card, appeared at the prosecution office around 1:40 PM on the 7th for investigation.

On that day, Kim wore a dark navy suit and came to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office with her lawyer. She had previously been notified by the Public Investigation Division of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Won-du) to appear for investigation as a suspect in charges of breach of trust and violation of the Public Official Election Act. The investigation is expected to last for an extended period.

Kim is accused of breach of trust for knowingly allowing Bae Mo, a close aide and former Grade 5 special appointment official at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, to pay for her meals using the Gyeonggi Provincial Government's corporate card from July 2018 to September 2022, during the time her husband Lee served as governor of Gyeonggi Province. The total misuse of the corporate card by Bae is estimated to be about 150 cases, amounting to approximately 20 million KRW. Among these, the amount directly related to Kim is about 20 cases, totaling around 2 million KRW.

The police, who first investigated the case, concluded that there was an implicit conspiracy between Bae, the direct user of the corporate card, and Kim, who is suspected to be the higher-up, and referred Kim to the prosecution as a co-conspirator in this case.

Kim is also charged with violating the Public Official Election Act (restriction on donation activities) by providing a meal worth about 100,000 KRW on August 2 of last year at a restaurant in Seoul to three party-related personnel, her driver, and lawyer after Lee declared his candidacy in the party's presidential primary. The statute of limitations for this charge will expire on the 9th.

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