Prosecutors Conduct Search and Seizure at Ansan City Hall Over Suspected Donations to Seongnam FC

The prosecution conducted a search and seizure at the Seongnam FC clubhouse in Seongnam City, Gyeonggi Province, on September 16 regarding the 'Seongnam FC sponsorship fund suspicion.' [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] The prosecution investigating the allegations of sponsorship funds related to Seongnam FC conducted a search and seizure on the 25th to secure official documents regarding Ansan City's attempt to acquire Seongnam Ilhwa Football Club, the predecessor of Seongnam FC, in 2013, which was later abandoned. This is interpreted as an effort to strengthen evidence proving the bribery motive of Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, related to the Seongnam FC allegations.

According to the legal community, the Criminal Division 3 of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Seongnam Branch (Chief Prosecutor Yoo Minjong) sent prosecutors and investigators to the Sports Promotion Department office at Ansan City Hall this morning to secure official documents regarding Ansan City's attempt to acquire Seongnam Ilhwa.

Previously, in 2013, Ansan City actively considered the proposal to acquire the professional football club Seongnam Ilhwa, operated by Tongil Sports, but faced difficulties as it could not find a company to sponsor tens of billions of won annually for operating expenses. Consequently, then Seongnam Mayor Lee decisively decided to acquire Seongnam Ilhwa and signed the acquisition contract at the end of 2013.

The Seongnam FC sponsorship fund allegations involve Democratic Party leader Lee, who, while serving as Seongnam Mayor and club owner of Seongnam FC, secured sponsorship funds amounting to about 16 billion won from companies such as Doosan Construction, Naver, and Cha Hospital between 2016 and 2018. These companies allegedly received conveniences such as building permits and land use changes in return.

On the 30th of last month, the prosecution sent the former Seongnam City Strategic Promotion Team leader and the former Doosan Construction CEO to trial without detention on charges of bribery and bribery offering related to this case. The prosecution views Lee and Jeong Jinsang, then the city policy director and Democratic Party leader’s political coordination office chief, as accomplices, believing that Lee provided conveniences to companies and received sponsorship funds for his political gain.

After acquiring Seongnam FC, like Ansan City, difficulties arose in securing operating funds for the club. The prosecution's perspective is that Lee, fearing he could not fulfill political promises, individually contacted companies with various permits and pending issues.

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