Both 'Left and Right Close Aides' Detained... Prosecution Likely to Focus Investigation on Lee Jae-myung

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is taking off his mask to speak at the discussion forum on "State Responsibility and Disaster Safety Measures for the Itaewon Tragedy" held at the National Assembly on the 16th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Kim Yong, Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute, and Jeong Jin-sang, Political Coordination Officer of the Party Representative Office. With all the key aides known as the left and right arms of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, being arrested, attention is focused on the future direction of the prosecution's investigation.

With the court issuing arrest warrants, the investigation into Lee is expected to gain legitimacy and momentum. The prosecution suspects Lee as the top figure in the Daejang-dong and Wirye New Town development project corruption and considers him the final target of the investigation. Since both closest aides have been arrested, some speculate cautiously that the prosecution may summon Lee for questioning within the year.

On the 19th at around 2:50 a.m., Kim Se-yong, the warrant judge at the Seoul Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Officer Jeong, citing "concerns of evidence destruction and flight risk." This 'swift' decision came four and a half hours after the arrest hearing, which lasted 8 hours and 10 minutes and ended at 10:10 p.m. the previous day.

The court's issuance of the warrant appears to be based on the judgment that the prosecution sufficiently substantiated the charges against Officer Jeong.

In particular, the consistent testimonies of former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu and Nam Wook, members of the Daejang-dong group, are presumed to have strengthened the prosecution's claims. There is also analysis that recorded conversations supporting these testimonies influenced the court's decision.

Accordingly, the prosecution plans to detain Officer Jeong for up to 20 days to investigate how much influence Lee exerted over collusion with private contractors and what benefits Lee gained in return.

In fact, during his time as Mayor of Seongnam (2010?2018) and Governor of Gyeonggi Province (2018?2021), Lee reportedly always kept Officer Jeong close, ensuring that all reports and approval documents submitted to him were reviewed by Jeong in advance. Given their relationship, it is inferred that Lee could not have been unaware of what Jeong, who acted as his 'gatekeeper,' was doing.

However, since Officer Jeong, a political comrade of Lee, is unlikely to disclose Lee's involvement, similar to Deputy Director Kim, the investigation may not proceed easily.

Next week, all members of the Daejang-dong group will be released as their first trial detention periods expire, placing them in a non-custodial state, which is expected to significantly impact the prosecution's investigation.

Former Director Yoo was already released from detention on the 20th of last month, and Nam and Kim Man-bae will also be released next week as the trial court decided not to issue additional arrest warrants. If those who once had close ties with Officer Jeong expose the details of the case, new charges may emerge, potentially ushering the prosecution's investigation into a new phase.

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