[Law & Story] The Strange Defense of Lee Hwa-young's Attorney

Seokjin Choi, Legal Affairs Specialist Reporter.

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A lawyer who should be on the client's side is drawing attention by fervently defending the party leader outside the courtroom. This is about Lawyer Kim Kwang-min, who is representing former Gyeonggi Province Peace Deputy Governor Lee Hwa-young.

Lee, who is on trial for charges related to Ssangbangwool's 'North Korea remittance,' raised suspicions of 'coerced testimony manipulation during a drinking party' inside the prosecution office on the 4th in court.

The revelation that Lee, who is on trial while in custody, drank soju with former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Sung-tae inside the prosecution office, accompanied by salmon side dishes until their faces turned red, was shocking. Moreover, the claim that Kim tried to coerce testimony related to Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung made one think, "The prosecution really tried to fabricate charges to pin on Leader Lee."

However, when the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office rebutted based on objective evidence such as Lee's departure records and a full investigation of related parties, Lawyer Kim kept changing his story about the time and place of the drinking. Eventually, he even made absurd claims about whether drinking occurred, which were exposed when the prosecution released the court transcript. Lawyer Kim was the first to raise suspicions about the 'drinking party' inside the prosecution office on a YouTube broadcast last December, well before Lee's court revelation.

After Lee's testimony that he 'reported to Leader Lee' was made public last year and caused controversy in court, his wife dismissed Lawyer Seo Min-seok, who had over 20 years of experience as a judge, against Lee's wishes. Subsequently, Lawyer Kim, who passed the bar exam on the 4th attempt and has been serving as a Democratic Party member of the Gyeonggi Provincial Assembly since 2022, was appointed. Those who have attended Lee's trial even once can easily guess that his mid-trial involvement serves the single purpose of 'defending Leader Lee.'

Putting everything else aside, Lawyer Kim is Lee's defense attorney. Naturally, he should be trying to prove Lee's innocence or find ways to reduce his criminal liability to receive leniency. Yet, he is pouring all his efforts into proving that Lee's testimony about reporting the North Korea remittance to Leader Lee was made under coercion by the prosecution or former Chairman Kim Sung-tae. Even though if Lee did not report to Leader Lee, all responsibility would fall squarely on his client, Lee himself.

Right after the general election, Leader Lee, as if waiting for the moment, made statements like "The prosecution is doing things that even local thugs wouldn't do" and "It seems 100% true." The Democratic Party lawmakers who, without even attempting to verify the facts, formed a fact-finding team and rushed to the prosecution office and detention center holding banners to protest are acting beyond common sense.

Leader Lee has not yet been indicted and is not on trial with Lee Hwa-young, but as the ultimate beneficiary of the North Korea remittance, he is a key suspect under investigation by the prosecution. In September last year, Chief Judge Yoo Chang-hoon, who handled his warrant review, stated, "It is hard to say that Lee Hwa-young's previous statements to investigative agencies were made voluntarily," and "There are circumstances that raise suspicion of improper interference by people close to the suspect (Lee Jae-myung) regarding Lee Hwa-young's testimony."

Lawyer Kim must immediately stop his reckless allegations aimed at pressuring the prosecution and courts in a 'say whatever you want' manner, which constitutes obstruction of justice. The Democratic Party must also cease exploiting Lawyer Kim's claims for political strife.

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