Police to Conduct Closed-Door Investigation Today on Former Representative Lee Jun-seok Over 'Sexual Bribery Allegations' (Comprehensive)

Investigation from 10 AM to around 12 PM

Lee Jun-seok, former leader of the People Power Party / Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] It has been confirmed that the police summoned former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok for questioning on the 17th.

The Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency stated that they summoned Lee as a suspect for a private investigation starting at 10 a.m. that day. The investigation reportedly ended around 10 p.m. According to the police, Lee is suspected of receiving sexual favors from Kim Sung-jin, CEO of AICIST, a businessman, in 2013. The allegation was raised last December by the YouTube channel "Garosero Research Institute" (Gaseyeon), and after Lee was reported, the police investigation began.

The police have conducted six witness interviews with CEO Kim, who is currently incarcerated on separate charges, at the detention center. During this process, Kim claimed that Lee received sexual favors, money, and entertainment until 2015 and, in return, arranged meetings with former President Park Geun-hye. After investigating Kim, the police coordinated with Lee's side to schedule his appearance, which took place on this day. Earlier, on the 13th, Kim Kwang-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, said at a press briefing, "We are coordinating the schedule with former leader Lee, and the police plan to summon him for questioning as soon as possible."

Lee's questioning took place about a week before the statute of limitations for the crime expires. The statute of limitations for prostitution related to the sexual favor allegations is five years and has already passed, but the statute of limitations for the charge of mediation bribery remains about a week, based on the period from September 23 to 25, 2015, when Kim claimed to have last given Lee a holiday gift, which has a seven-year statute of limitations.

The police are also investigating allegations of evidence tampering, suspecting that Lee instructed former party leader’s political secretary Kim Cheol-geun to bribe an AICIST employee who reported the sexual favor allegations. Former Secretary Kim was booked in April and questioned by the police as a suspect. The police are also examining the case in which Lee sued Gaseyeon for defamation based on false information, and in response, Kim’s side filed a counter-complaint against Lee for false accusation.

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