Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok: "Even if Lee Hwa-young shakes the judicial system, the crime does not disappear"

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok criticized the claims of former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young, who is on trial for allegations including illegal remittances to North Korea, accusing him of attempting to sway the case through a "drinking party persuasion."

On the 23rd, Lee, who visited the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in Gyeongnam, referred to former Deputy Governor Lee as a "defendant on trial for serious corruption crimes" during a meeting with reporters before entering the prosecution office, and pointed out, "He must immediately stop actions that shake and attack the judicial system."

He explained, "Former Deputy Governor Lee is on trial for serious corruption crimes, including receiving illegal bribes exceeding 250 million won, illegal political funds exceeding 330 million won, and illegally remitting 8 million USD, equivalent to 10 billion won, to North Korea. He is also accused of instructing evidence destruction during the investigation process."

"He did not make any claims about drinking alcohol at the prosecution office during the 1 year and 7 months of trial, but only made such claims on the 4th, when the trial was concluding," and added, "The timing, location, and the people he allegedly drank with keep changing," raising doubts about former Deputy Governor Lee's testimony.

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok is holding a brief press conference in front of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in Gyeongnam and answering reporters' questions.
[Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]

Lee said, "Previously in court, he claimed he drank so much that his face turned red and waited for a long time until he became drunk before returning to the detention center, but now he says he only tasted the alcohol and did not drink it," adding, "It is impossible to know whether he actually drank or did not."

"Former Deputy Governor Lee testified about Representative Lee Jae-myung's involvement in the North Korean remittance, but I want to ask whether that testimony is 100% truthful," he added.

He continued, "Lying, fabricating falsehoods, or shaking the court and prosecution to change the judicial system will neither erase existing crimes, reduce charges, nor allow one to avoid criminal punishment," and warned, "The Democratic Party should not blindly follow former Deputy Governor Lee's claims."

Lee emphasized, "We should not turn judicial issues into political strife, but calmly await the court's ruling on June 7, which respects the judicial system and constitutional order established by the Constitution and laws."

He also stated, "The Prosecutor General of the Republic of Korea must take the lead in correcting and improving any problems within the prosecution," and added, "However, when it comes to unjust external pressure or influence on the prosecution or judicial system, we must serve as a shield, a support, and a bulwark."

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