Will Lee Jae-myung's Defense Team Lineup Change... 'Tug of War' Over Prosecutor's Summons

Lee Jae-myung, Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] As Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and the prosecution have tentatively agreed to conduct a summons investigation after the Lunar New Year holiday, a fierce power struggle is emerging over the investigation method, frequency, and timing. Amid this, some in the political and legal circles speculate that Lee may recruit an additional lawyer, replace one, or reorganize his legal team ahead of the prosecution's investigation, drawing attention.

According to the legal community on the 21st, Lee’s side is reportedly considering sending a different lawyer, not former Prosecutor General Park who was present during the summons investigation conducted by the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Seongnam Branch regarding the Seongnam FC sponsorship allegations, to the investigation related to the Wirye and Daejang-dong development corruption suspicions. There is also speculation that Yang Bu-nam, former Busan High Prosecutor who serves as the Democratic Party’s legal committee chairman and manages Lee’s overall judicial risks, will take a direct role.

Lee can have one lawyer present during the investigation to defend his rights. If former Prosecutor General Yang steps in, it would be seen as a declaration of all-out confrontation with the prosecution, attracting significant attention. Among the allegations Lee currently faces, the Wirye and Daejang-dong development project corruption case is by far the most critical. Several close associates with long-standing ties to Lee are heavily involved in key roles in the project. The prosecution suspects that Lee, who was the mayor of Seongnam at the time, was involved by receiving reports and giving instructions throughout the project. Considering the scale and nature of the case, it is undoubtedly a matter worthy of former Prosecutor General Yang’s involvement.

Yang Bu-nam, former Busan High Prosecutors' Office Chief
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The prosecution is currently exchanging opinions with former Prosecutor General Park regarding Lee’s summons schedule. Lee has expressed willingness to appear for investigation, but there is disagreement over scheduling. Lee specified the date and time as "I will be investigated at 10:30 a.m. on the 28th," but the prosecution countered, saying, "That is not an agreed-upon schedule." The prosecution insists that the investigation should be conducted at least twice, not just once on the 28th, due to the extensive content that needs to be confirmed through Lee concerning the Wirye and Daejang-dong development corruption case.

While discussions are still ongoing, there is a possibility that the prosecution’s investigation could be postponed to a date other than the 28th. If Lee’s side insists on a single-day investigation, even the possibility of the investigation itself could become uncertain. Since the Democratic Party has defined this investigation as a "political prosecution’s attempt to kill the opposition party leader," the likelihood of Lee’s side backing down is slim. Previously, when Lee was investigated by the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Seongnam Branch over the Seongnam FC sponsorship allegations, he submitted a six-page A4 written statement and repeatedly responded with the intention of "replacing the investigation with the written statement." After the investigation, Lee even posted the full statement on his social media account. It currently appears highly likely that the investigation into the Wirye and Daejang-dong development corruption case will follow a similar pattern.

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