Woo Sang-ho "Prosecutors, drawing conclusions and fitting pieces... If nothing came out after this much scrutiny, then there is nothing"

"'Presidential Election Funds' Investigation, Intent to Shift Focus from Lee as an Individual to the Party Issue"
"Phase Change, Political Retaliation Intent... Dragging Lee's Pursuit for Too Long"

Woo Sang-ho, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yunjin Kim] Woo Sang-ho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized the prosecution's investigation into the 'Lee Jae-myung illegal presidential election funds allegations' on the 27th, saying, "They are conducting a tailor-made investigation with a predetermined conclusion."

On the same day, Woo appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and pointed out problems with the prosecution's investigation of Lee. Recently, the prosecution arrested Kim Yong, deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute and a close aide to Lee, on charges of illegal presidential election fund receipt, and conducted a search of the Democratic Research Institute located at the Democratic Party headquarters in Yeouido.

Woo criticized the prosecution for specifying 'presidential election funds' as the charge itself. He said, "Whether funds were received is actually unclear, and even if they were, they probably haven't investigated where the money was spent yet," adding, "Those who haven't even investigated where the money was kept are coming in defining it as 'presidential election funds.' From this, one can only conclude that they are conducting a tailor-made investigation with a predetermined conclusion."

Woo, who managed funds as the general election campaign headquarters chief for the Democratic Party in the last presidential election, explained that there was no shortage of donations to the extent that illegal political funds would be needed. "The donations were almost filled up within a few hours, and any money that came in afterward was returned," he said, criticizing, "The prosecution's excessive intention to push the allegations as 'presidential election funds' and to frame it not as an individual issue of Lee but as a problem of the Democratic Party."

He also expressed doubts about the influence of the testimony of former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation director Yoo Dong-gyu, who was recently released, on the prosecution's investigation. Woo said, "Yoo, after all, is a suspect," and raised the criticism, "Is it normal for the prosecution to release a suspect and encourage him to make statements unfavorable to Lee and his aides to the media?"

Woo claimed that the prosecution is expanding the investigation targeting the opposition party leader, saying, "It is a move to change the situation and ultimately has the intention of political retaliation." He pointed out, "Is there any country in the world where, immediately after taking office, all investigative power is mobilized to thoroughly investigate a former president and a candidate who competed against oneself? There is no such case in our country's constitutional history either," adding, "It seems they have judged that they have no choice but to use their specialty, investigation, to change the situation."

Woo added, "I believe that Lee himself has nothing that warrants judicial punishment. I do not know if anyone close to him or under him is involved in a crime," and directly criticized, "They have conducted 224 searches but have not yet indicted anyone. If nothing has come out after this level of investigation, it means there is actually no charge. The investigation is being dragged on excessively with the intention to somehow implicate him."

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