On the 25th, the trial of Lee Hwa-young reaches a turning point in Lee's investigation... Could Lee be directly charged with bribery?

The prosecution investigating the ‘Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance’ case is considering applying the charge of ‘direct bribery’ rather than ‘third-party bribery’ to Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is suspected of having ordered or tacitly approved the act.

Meanwhile, Lee Hwa-young, the former Deputy Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province, who recently reversed related testimony, is about to appear in court, drawing intense attention from political and legal circles regarding what statements he will make concerning Lee.

Lee Jae-myung, then Governor of Gyeonggi Province, Lee Hwa-young, then Vice Governor for Peace of Gyeonggi Province

According to the legal community on the 21st, Lee will be questioned at the 41st trial session held on the 25th under the jurisdiction of the Criminal Division 11 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Shin Jin-woo). It has not yet been decided whether he will appear in court as a defendant or as a witness. At the trial on the 18th, the prosecution requested that Lee be called as a witness to verify his changed testimony, but Lee’s side asked for the questioning to proceed as a defendant’s examination, citing the burden of perjury penalties if he testifies as a witness. Regardless of his status in court, Lee will have the opportunity to speak about the testimony he changed.

He is expected to explain the reasons and circumstances for changing his testimony during this trial. Lee’s statements are anticipated to be a turning point in the prosecution’s investigation targeting Lee Jae-myung. At present, it is difficult to predict whether Lee will elaborate on his reversed testimony or reverse it again. Until now, Lee has maintained that the allegations of Lee Jae-myung’s involvement in Ssangbangwool’s remittance to North Korea were “completely fabricated,” but he has recently changed his stance.

During an investigation conducted by the Criminal Division 6 of Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-nam), Lee reportedly testified that he reported to Lee Jae-myung that “money would be spent on the North Korea visit” and that “Ssangbangwool seemed likely to cover Lee’s travel expenses,” and that Lee Jae-myung, upon receiving the report, effectively approved it by saying “I understand.” He also reportedly testified that he heard from Jeong Jin-sang, former Chief Political Coordination Officer of Lee’s office and then Gyeonggi Province Policy Office Director, to “expedite Lee’s visit to North Korea.”

Based on such testimony, the prosecution has begun a legal review to determine whether direct bribery charges can be applied to Lee Jae-myung. Initially, the prosecution considered applying third-party bribery charges, judging that Lee received undue benefits from Ssangbangwool through Gyeonggi Province. However, if Lee was informed about a company covering his travel expenses and directly approved it, direct bribery charges could also be applicable.

Lee may also provide specific details in court about the dates, times, and locations of the reports he made to Lee Jae-myung. The prosecution suspects that Lee Jae-myung was aware of the matter during a secret political meeting with 15 close aides while serving as governor of Gyeonggi Province. After Lee’s examination is completed, the prosecution is expected to summon Jeong first for investigation, followed by Lee early next month. There is speculation that the prosecution may reapply for an arrest warrant against Lee, who has declared the waiver of his immunity from arrest.

Only four days remain until the trial. The prosecution hopes that Lee will maintain his reversed testimony in court, but there is also a possibility that Lee’s associates or Democratic Party members may contact him or his lawyers to gauge his intentions or persuade him to change his mind. It is reported that Lee and his lawyers have had no contact with the outside world until the morning of the 21st.

The background behind Lee’s change of heart is believed to be strongly influenced by the court testimony of National Intelligence Service employee A and an internal document he prepared. A reportedly drafted a ‘Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance-related document’ at the NIS, which contains information that Lee promised to support the smart farm project funds to North Korean officials but, when that was not feasible, Ssangbangwool paid on behalf of Gyeonggi Province. Additionally, the prosecution’s acquisition of internal Gyeonggi Province documents that appear to have been known by Lee, as well as the expansion of the investigation to his close aides and family members, are also said to have affected Lee’s change of mind.

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