SEOUL– The prosecution’s yearlong investigation into alleged corruption in land development projects south of Seoul appears to be heading toward opposition leader Lee Jae-myung’s presidential election campaign funds, political watchers said Thursday.
The move appears to be palpable following Wednesday’s detention of a Democratic Party (DP) politician known as one of Lee’s closest aides.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office detained Kim Yong, deputy head of the DP-affiliated Institute for Democracy, on suspicion of receiving 800 million won (US$560,000) from land developers in the city of Seongnam in violation of the political fund law.
Prosecutors suspect the 800 million won was handed over to Kim between April and August last year for use by Lee’s presidential election campaign.
The prosecution’s yearlong probe has been mostly focused on Lee’s possible role in the alleged massive profit taking by private developers in Seongnam’s Daejang-dong district in the mid-2010s, when the DP chair was serving as the Gyeonggi Province city’s mayor.
Due to the abrupt detention of Kim, however, the prosecution’s investigation appears to be directly aimed at Lee, the watchers said.
As Kim reportedly claims innocence, prosecutors should now clarify whether any illicit funds were handed over to Kim or Lee’s election campaign and whether Lee was directly involved in the alleged bribery if the money was actually given to Kim, they said.
Kim is said to be one of Lee’s two closest aides, together with Jeong Jin-sang, a DP official now serving in the DP chair’s office. Kim had actually played a key role in Lee’s presidential election camp. Lee said last year Jeong and Kim are among those who can be called his close confidants.
Lee also flatly denied such allegations, saying he has never used a penny of illegal funds.
Source: Yonhap News Agency