Jung Jin-sang, Kim Man-bae, Kim Yong, and Lee Hwa-young: Temporary Release Together Possible... Decision Expected This Month

Jung Jin-sang, Kim Man-bae, Kim Yong. And even Lee Hwa-young. The decision on the temporary release of key aides to Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea who is currently on trial, is expected to be made as early as this month. Depending on the circumstances, there is also a possibility that all of them could be released. They have either filed for bail and are awaiting the court's decision or are approaching the expiration of their detention period, with a decision on whether to issue additional arrest warrants soon to be made.

Jung Jin-sang, former Chief of Political Coordination Office at the Democratic Party of Korea Representative Office [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, who was indicted on charges of bribery, is attending the first trial sentencing hearing related to the Daejang-dong development project lobbying and preferential treatment allegations at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu on the afternoon of the 8th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

If all of them are released, it could significantly impact the flow of trials related to cases involving Lee Jae-myung, drawing considerable attention from the legal community. In particular, the prosecution has appealed to the court to "deny bail," arguing that there is a risk of evidence destruction and manipulation of testimonies, insisting that they must not be released under any circumstances. On the other hand, the aides have fiercely contested this, shouting for the "guarantee of the right to defense."

According to the legal community on the 6th, Jung Jin-sang, former Political Coordination Officer at the Democratic Party leader’s office, applied for bail on January 30 at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 23 (Presiding Judge Jo Byung-gu) and is awaiting the outcome. The court stated, "We will decide on bail after reviewing the trial situation." Jung is on trial for allegedly receiving 240 million KRW in bribes from Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, in exchange for facilitating various projects, and for agreeing to share 42.8 billion KRW from the Daejang-dong project’s equity after deducting common expenses.

The court is expected to soon reach a conclusion on whether to grant bail, having heard opinions from both Jung and the prosecution during the hearing on the 4th. The prosecution argued, "It has been confirmed that Jung contacted Kim Man-bae," and added, "There is a very high risk of evidence destruction." They also noted, "Additional arrest warrants may be issued if new criminal facts are confirmed." Jung’s detention period expires on June 8. If a new arrest warrant is issued before then, his detention could be extended. Considering these points, bail release is deemed meaningless.

Jung’s side countered, saying, "The trial should proceed with equal guarantee of the right to defense, and punishment should be imposed according to the severity of the case." They argued that "Issuance of an arrest warrant is not a punishment," and that "Detention trials appear to be merely a form of retaliation," asserting that Jung’s detention is unjust.

Kim Man-bae, major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management (Hwacheon Daeyu), and Kim Yong, former deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, may have their bail decisions made slightly earlier than Jung. Judge Kim Sang-il of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 1 conducted Kim Man-bae’s bail hearing the day before. During this hearing, Kim’s side argued, "All objective evidence has already been presented, so there is no need for detention." In response, the prosecution emphasized, "Kim previously coached Byung-chae, son of former lawmaker Kwak Sang-do, on testimony and attempted to persuade Yoo Dong-gyu," stressing, "There is a risk of evidence destruction if he is released." Since Kim Yong’s detention period expires on the 7th of next month, the court is expected to expedite the bail decision. Kim Yong applied for bail on the 30th of last month at the same court division as Jung. Kim Yong is on trial for allegedly receiving money as presidential election funds from Yoo Dong-gyu, Jung Min-yong, and Nam Wook.

Former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young [Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Hwa-young, former Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, who is charged with receiving bribes from Ssangbangwool Group in exchange for supporting inter-Korean projects, will have a decision on the issuance of an additional arrest warrant on the 7th. The Suwon District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Shin Jin-woo) plans to hold a defendant hearing to review this. Lee’s detention period expires on the 14th, and on the 3rd, he was additionally indicted along with Bang Yong-chul, vice chairman of Ssangbangwool, on charges of instructing evidence destruction. The charge relates to an incident in October-November 2021 when a media outlet investigated allegations of Lee’s use of Ssangbangwool corporate cards, and he allegedly requested Bang to delete related materials. The prosecution has re-indicted Lee and requested the court to extend his detention period.

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