"Limits to Lies"... An Bu-su Begins to Speak Out to the Prosecution

After the motion to arrest was rejected in the National Assembly, attention has turned to the prosecution's future investigation into Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, as momentum builds in the investigation of the 'North Korea remittance' case. It is reported that Ahn Bu-soo, chairman of the Asia-Pacific Peace Exchange Association (APPEA) and a key figure in the case, is actively confessing the full details of the incident, suggesting the case is entering a new phase.

According to a compilation of stories from inside and outside the prosecution on the 2nd, the Criminal Division 6 of Suwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-nam) has secured a large amount of testimony from Chairman Ahn regarding various inter-Korean projects that Gyeonggi Province and Ssangbangwool Group attempted to promote around 2018-2019, as well as the flow of funds delivered to North Korea at that time.

Ri Jong-hyok, Vice Chairman of the Joseon Asia-Pacific Peace Committee (right), is having a conversation with An Bu-su, President of the Asia-Pacific Peace Exchange Association, at the 2018 International Conference for Peace and Prosperity in the Asia-Pacific held on the afternoon of the 16th at Emble Hotel in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung, Goyang aymsdream@

It is reported that Chairman Ahn's attitude toward the prosecution's investigation changed after the prosecution secured the custody of key Ssangbangwool Group figures, including former Chairman Kim Sung-tae, who was caught abroad while on the run in January. He admitted to his charges and cooperated with the investigation. On the 26th of last month, during a cross-examination with former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young at the prosecution, he said, "I tried to defend the representative team (Lee Hwa-young) until now," and "I have reached the limit of lying." He also admitted to some charges in his own trial. On the 23rd of last month, at a hearing held by the Criminal Division 15 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Jung-jae), he acknowledged delivering money to North Korea but claimed that the amount specified in the prosecution's indictment was different. While the prosecution stated that Ahn delivered about $210,000 (approximately 200 million KRW at the time) to North Korea, Ahn said it was $80,000 to $90,000 (approximately 100 million KRW at the time).

If Chairman Ahn, who has corrected his stance, continues to provide explosive testimony, the prosecution's investigation is likely to gain momentum. In particular, whether evidence can be found linking Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, to the case is a matter of intense interest.

Chairman Ahn was deeply involved in the inter-Korean projects jointly promoted by Gyeonggi Province and Ssangbangwool Group in 2018-2019. To facilitate the smooth progress of these projects, Gyeonggi Province and Ssangbangwool Group delivered quid pro quo funds to the North, utilizing the APPEA, where Ahn was involved. In this process, Ahn was indicted for violating the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, among other charges, for meeting with Kim Yong-chol, chairman of North Korea's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, and Song Myong-chol, deputy director of the same committee, in China and North Korea in December 2018 and January 2019, and delivering a total of about $210,000 and 1.8 million yuan (approximately 300 million KRW at the time).

Legal circles are analyzing that Chairman Ahn may follow a similar path as former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu, who made bombshell statements in the Wirye and Daejang-dong development corruption case. In addition to Chairman Ahn, Ssangbangwool Group officials responsible for the inter-Korean projects are also reversing their previous positions. Vice Chairman Bang Yong-chul, who oversaw the inter-Korean projects at Ssangbangwool, admitted all charges during the trial on the 24th of last month regarding former Deputy Governor Lee's bribery and illegal political fund charges. Former Deputy Governor Lee is accused of receiving about 300 million KRW in bribes and illegal political funds by using a corporate card under the name of a Ssangbangwool general affairs team employee from June 25, 2019, to August 25, 2022, or by falsely listing acquaintances as Ssangbangwool employees to receive salaries. Vice Chairman Bang acknowledged all these allegations.

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