Prosecutors: "Bae Mo handled personal errands under Kim Hye-kyung's orders"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwak Min-jae] The prosecution has indicted Bae Mo, a key figure in the allegations of 'private use of corporate cards' involving Kim Hye-kyung, wife of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, stating in the indictment that 'Bae handled various private tasks under Kim's instructions.'

According to the indictment submitted to Rep. Jeon Ju-hye of the People Power Party by the Ministry of Justice on the 17th, the prosecution stated, "In fact, the defendant, under Kim's instructions, was responsible for managing and supporting various private tasks such as providing meals for her family, arranging meetings, preparing vehicles for external activities like hospital visits, and handled Kim's private affairs during official duties."

Bae, who was a Grade 5 special appointment at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, was brought to trial on charges of making false statements denying that he had handled private matters for the candidate's family when allegations of 'corporate card misuse' and 'illegal protocol' involving Lee, then the Democratic Party's presidential candidate's spouse, surfaced around January this year.

Additionally, he is under prosecution investigation for allegedly paying Kim's personal meal expenses with the Gyeonggi Province corporate card or obtaining illegal prescriptions under other people's names and delivering them to Kim from July 2018 to September last year (breach of trust).

The prosecution also noted in the indictment that regarding the hormone medicine Bae claimed was for his own use, "He did not take the hormone medicine received from a Gyeonggi Provincial Secretary's office staff himself but delivered it to Kim."

Furthermore, concerning the allegation of a donation act where Bae provided a meal costing about 78,000 won to three Democratic Party-related figures at a restaurant in Seoul last August using the Gyeonggi Province corporate card, the indictment stated, "Kim instructed Bae to arrange the schedule for this meal meeting."

Earlier, the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Public Investigation Division (Chief Prosecutor Jeong Won-du) indicted Bae on the 8th, one day before the statute of limitations for election law expired, on charges of false statement publicity and donation acts under the Public Official Election Act.

Kim's side stated on the 7th regarding these allegations, "There was no use of the corporate card as alleged, nor did she see it, and she was unaware that meals were purchased with the corporate card."

The prosecution plans to first indict Bae to suspend the statute of limitations for Kim, who is an accomplice, and then indict Kim after further investigation.

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