Lee Jae-myung, Warrant Hearing on 26th... Presided by Chief Judge Yoo Chang-hoon at Seoul Central District Court

Judge Yoo, 5 Billion Club Park Young-soo and Cash Envelope Allegations Lee Sung-man Arrest Warrant Dismissed
Key Factor in Warrant Review 'Fasting'... Lee Likely to Appear in Court in Person

Amid the National Assembly's approval of the arrest warrant for Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, the court will conduct a warrant hearing for Lee on the 26th.

Park Kwang-on, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is visiting Lee Jae-myung, who is on a hunger strike at Noksaek Hospital in Jungnang-gu, Seoul, on the 21st, and having a conversation. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

On the 22nd, the Seoul Central District Court announced that Judge Yoo Chang-hoon, in charge of warrants, will preside over the warrant hearing for Lee, who has been subject to a detention warrant request on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery), on the 26th.

Judge Yoo graduated from the 29th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and served as an Army legal officer before being appointed as a judge at the Uijeongbu branch of the Seoul District Court. He then served as a judge at the Seoul Central District Court, Gwangju District Court Suncheon branch, Uijeongbu District Court Goyang branch, Seoul High Court judge, Supreme Court judicial researcher, Busan District Court chief judge, and Seoul Western District Court chief judge. Since February this year, he has been serving as the chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court.

Judge Yoo previously dismissed the arrest warrant for former special prosecutor Park Young-soo, who was implicated in the "50 billion won club" related to the Daejang-dong development scandal, in June this year. Recently, in the trial concerning illegal political funds involving former Democratic Research Institute deputy director Kim Yong, Judge Yoo dismissed the warrant for Lee, former director of the Gyeonggi-do Market Promotion Agency, who was accused of perjury, stating there was "no concern of evidence tampering." Last month, he also dismissed the warrant for Assemblyman Lee Seong-man, who was involved in the Democratic Party's party convention "money envelope scandal." On the other hand, he issued a second warrant for Kang Rae-gu, former chairman of the Korea Audit Association, a key figure in the Democratic Party's money envelope scandal, and warrants for Park Mo, former aide to former party leader Song Young-gil.

The biggest variable in Lee's warrant hearing is his health condition, as he is currently hospitalized due to the effects of a hunger strike. There have been past cases where a suspect was examined lying on a simple bed during a warrant hearing, so there is a possibility that Lee may appear in person to actively present his case. Although the hearing can proceed without the suspect's direct appearance, substituting with a lawyer or written statements, considering the importance of the matter, it is more likely that Lee will appear in court personally.

The prosecution suspects that during Lee's tenure as mayor of Seongnam from 2014 to 2015, the zoning of the former Korea Food Research Institute site in Baekhyeon-dong, Bundang-gu, Seongnam, was unusually upgraded four levels (from natural conservation green space to quasi-residential area), allowing private developers to receive various special favors, with Lee playing a leading role.

Additionally, the prosecution applied charges against Lee for allegedly calling Kim Mo, former secretary to ex-Seongnam Mayor Kim Byung-ryang, in December 2018, requesting false testimony favorable to him in his trial for violating the Public Official Election Act related to impersonating a prosecutor.

Furthermore, from January to April 2019, when Gyeonggi Province was unable to fulfill a promised $5 million smart farm project to North Korea due to sanctions, the prosecution alleges that Lee conspired with Lee Hwa-young, former vice governor for peace of Gyeonggi Province, to accept improper requests from Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangwool Group, for exclusive business opportunities and fund support while pursuing inter-Korean projects with Ssangbangwool Group, and demanded that Kim cover the costs, resulting in Kim paying a total of $5 million to North Korea.

If the prosecution secures Lee's custody, investigations into the Baekhyeon-dong development and North Korea remittance allegations are expected to gain momentum. Moreover, investigations into the Ssangbangwool Group's split donations and the "judicial obstruction allegations" involving leaked trial records and Gyeonggi Province documents are also likely to accelerate.

Conversely, if Lee's arrest warrant is dismissed, the Democratic Party's criticism that the prosecution is conducting politically motivated investigations is expected to intensify.

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