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Prosecution summons DP leader for questioning next week

August 28, 2023

Prosecutors summoned opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Monday to appear for questioning next week over allegations of third-party bribery in connection with a company’s allegedly illegal money transfers to North Korea.

The Suwon District Prosecutors Office said it notified the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) to appear for questioning next Monday, after he did not comply with the prosecution’s previous summons last week.

The two sides have been scheduling the date of his questioning, with the DP saying earlier in the day Lee will present himself to prosecutors in September when there are no plenary sessions scheduled at the National Assembly.

The investigation centers on allegations that Ssangbangwool Group, an underwear manufacturer, unlawfully remitted US$8 million to North Korea between January 2019 and January 2020 on behalf of Gyeonggi Province.

Lee served as Gyeonggi governor from 2018 to 2021.

Prosecutors suspect that $3 million was intended to facilitate Lee’s planned visit to Pyongyang, while the remainder was meant for Gyeonggi’s smart farm support program in North Korea.

In this file photo, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung (C) speaks to reporters after undergoing questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)
In this file photo, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung (C) speaks to reporters after undergoing questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)