[2023 National Audit] Central and Suwon District Prosecutors' Office Hearings Today... Lee Jae-myung and Kim Geon-hee Investigation 'Dispute' Expected

The National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee will conduct a government audit on the 17th at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, focusing on the Seoul and Suwon High Prosecutors' Offices and their respective jurisdictions. As the prosecution's investigation targeting Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is expected to be a key topic, the confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties is anticipated to reach its peak.

The prosecution has requested an arrest warrant for the fifth cousin of Justice Minister Cho Kuk, a key figure in the 'private equity fund suspicion,' and there are expectations that Professor Jung Kyung-shim, the minister's wife, will soon be summoned. The photo was taken on the 16th at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung.

Leader Lee is under investigation by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office over various allegations. The day before, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted Lee on charges of 'suborning perjury.' The case involves Lee allegedly making multiple phone calls between December 22 and 24, 2018, to Kim Jin-sung, the late Kim Byung-ryang's former secretary?Kim Byung-ryang was the former mayor of Seongnam City?requesting him to commit perjury in a trial concerning Lee's past 'impersonation of a prosecutor' incident related to false statements under the Public Official Election Act. Last month, the court dismissed Lee's arrest warrant but judged that this charge "appears to be substantiated."

Additionally, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office has investigated and indicted Lee on charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act, corruption related to the Daejang-dong and Wirye New Town development projects, illegal donations to Seongnam FC, and preferential treatment in the Baekhyeon-dong development. The Suwon District Prosecutors' Office has also received the 'North Korea remittance' case involving the Ssangbangwool Group from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for reinvestigation. They are also examining allegations that former Ssangbangwool Group chairman Kim Sung-tae made large 'split donations' to Lee during the 2021 Democratic Party presidential primary, as well as suspicions that Lee's spouse, Kim Hye-kyung, misused corporate credit cards for personal purposes during Lee's tenure as governor of Gyeonggi Province.

Democratic Party members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee are expected to launch a barrage of questions, claiming that the prosecution is conducting targeted and political investigations against Leader Lee. At the same time, they are likely to pressure officials from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office by questioning the seemingly insufficient investigation into First Lady Kim Geon-hee's alleged 'Deutsche Motors stock manipulation.'

Other contentious issues may include the 'presidential election interference and public opinion manipulation' involving Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, and Shin Hak-rim, former chairman of the Korean Federation of Journalists' Unions, both under investigation by a dedicated prosecution team. The 'Democratic Party money envelope distribution' case, involving multiple incumbent lawmakers, may also arise. Lawmakers from the ruling party are expected to focus their inquiries on allegations related to Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-guk's cryptocurrency activities and the Lime scandal, which are currently under investigation by the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office.

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