Yoo Dong-gyu: "Jeong Jin-sang, who is one with Lee Jae-myung, advised 'You have to be bold enough to kick open the mayor's office door'"

by Kim Daehyun

Published 11 Apr.2023 16:39(KST)

Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, claimed that Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Jeong Jin-sang, former Political Coordination Officer in the former representative's office, were practically one entity, and that public officials from Gyeonggi Province and Seongnam City shared the same view.

Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the 11th, the Criminal Division 23 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Jo Byung-gu) held a continuation trial for Jeong Jin-sang, former Political Coordination Officer in the representative's office. Yoo, the former director, was indicted alongside Jeong on charges of bribery but appeared in court that day as a witness, not as a defendant.

Yoo testified, "Jeong always identified himself with Lee Jae-myung. He said that mentioning himself was the same as mentioning Lee Jae-myung." According to Yoo's claim, when Jeong's name was mentioned in the September 2021 reports on the Daejang-dong corruption allegations, Jeong said, "Wow, how dare they mention my name. This is an attack on Lee Jae-myung."

When the prosecutor asked, "Do you believe that Lee Jae-myung and Jeong Jin-sang were practically one entity?" Yoo replied, "I think public officials from Gyeonggi Province and Seongnam City felt the same way."

He explained, "Around 2010, whenever Lee met, he always brought Jeong along," adding, "It was clear that they were more than just acquaintances, and everything Jeong said actually happened." "At that time, when Lee received reports, he would first ask, 'Have you consulted with Jin-sang?'" Jeong told me, '(With Lee) you have to be close enough to kick open the mayor's office door. Hurry up and try to get that close too,'” he added.

He also stated, "I was so-called part of the 'Jeong Jin-sang line,'" and testified that Jeong recommended him to Lee, which allowed him to hold key positions at Seongnam City Facilities Management Corporation and Gyeonggi Tourism Organization, while he was active as the president of the local remodeling association.

On that day, Yoo also claimed that during the preparation for Lee's 2010 Seongnam mayoral election, he, along with former Deputy Director Kim Yong of the Democratic Research Institute and Jeong, planned to raise 1 billion KRW in political funds for Lee. He said, "(Lee) decided that if he was elected mayor, I would work in development projects and construction fields," and "It was agreed to raise about 1 billion KRW from that side."

When the prosecutor asked, "Did you intend to receive money from private sponsors like Nam Wook and deliver it to Jeong Jin-sang, Kim Yong, and others?" Yoo answered, "Yes."