Key DP and PPP members are summoned as Assembly sits

Politics

Published: 04 Sep. 2022, 16:23

Key DP and PPP members are summoned as Assembly sits

Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung reads a Telegram message sent by his aide during a plenary session of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, Thursday, notifying him that prosecution has summoned him for questioning over allegations he spread false information about a 2015 land development scandal. The aide wrote, “This means war.” [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Two key party members, one from the Democratic Party (DP) and one from the People Power Party (PPP), have been summoned for questioning.

Movement on the legal front in the two unrelated cases comes just as the National Assembly's regular session begins and as the legislative body starts work on a number of important bills.

On Thursday, the prosecution ordered Lee Jae-myung, the new DP chairman, to appear for questioning about possible election law violations related to the Daejang-dong land development scandal in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, in 2015.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office summoned Lee to appear Tuesday to answer questions over allegations that he spread false information.

In a television interview last December during the presidential campaign, Lee denied knowing Kim Moon-gi, a key figure the Daejang-dong land development project.

Kim, the head of the Seongnam Development Corporation's project development team who had been under investigation over allegations of preferential treatment tied to the Daejang development, was found dead after committing suicide on Dec. 21.

Despite Lee's claims of not knowing Kim, later, photos were released of him together with Kim and several other people. A civic group filed a complaint against Lee. Lee allegedly went on an overseas business trip with Kim in January 2015, when he was the mayor of Seongnam.

Lee will also be questioned by Suwon prosecutors on allegations that he lied about a land development project in Baekhyeon-dong, also in Seongnam. He is accused of violating the election law by claiming on Oct. 20 that special treatment was given to the developer of the Baekhyeon-dong project at the request of the Land Ministry, rather than the Seongnam city government.

DP lawmakers called the investigation into Lee "political retaliation" led by the PPP and a scheme to find a way to indict him.

"The DP will not back down from political retaliation against our party leader who competed against President Yoon Suk-yeol as a presidential candidate, and political repression seeking to dismantle the opposing party," DP spokesperson Park Sung-joon said in a statement Thursday.

On Thursday, Lee was photographed by media during a National Assembly plenary session reading a Telegram message sent from an aide referring to the summons that read: "This means war."

Lee has described the summons as "inappropriate" and a part of the PPP's political revenge scheme.

"They are nitpicking at absurd things, and that is not appropriate," Lee said while presiding over a supreme council meeting Friday. He accused the PPP of being out to get him no matter what, mobilizing police and prosecutors.

The prosecution claimed that it delivered written questions to Lee last month, but did not receive an answer by the deadline of Aug. 26. A DP spokesman said that Lee had been carefully preparing written answers despite the short notice but that the prosecution had "ignored" this.

Lee was narrowly defeated by PPP candidate Yoon in the March 9 presidential election. He was elected as a lawmaker representing Incheon's Gyeyang-B district in a June 1 by-election and was elected the DP's new leader one week ago.

"This is not just an issue for Chairman Lee Jae-myung as an individual but a problem for the entire DP," said DP Rep. Jung Chung-rae on Friday. "We will fight together and win."

If prosecutors take the case to trial and Lee receives a fine of over 1 million won ($733), the DP may have to return about 43.17 billion won of election expenses paid by the National Election Commission (NEC).

Lee is reviewing whether to show up for the prosecutor summons in person, and the DP will hold a meeting Monday to discuss the course of action.

Former People Power Party (PPP) chief Lee Jun-seok holds back tears during a press conference in Daegu Sunday, where he accused the PPP of being “unconstitutional” in its attempt to revise the party charter to form a new leadership. [YONHAP]

Also on Thursday, police summoned former PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok for questioning over sexual bribery allegations.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police said it notified Lee and will soon decide on the timing of the summons.

Lee is accused of receiving sexual services twice in Daejeon in return for a business favor arranged by Kim Sung-jin, the founder and CEO of i-KAIST. Kim has been serving a nine-year prison sentence for fraud since 2018 in a separate case. Lee has denied the allegations.

In early July, the PPP's ethics committee suspended Lee from the party for six months over the allegations and an alleged cover-up attempt. This led to the party's attempts to form an emergency steering committee and oust Lee. Lee in turn filed a court injunction against the PPP.

On Aug. 26, a Seoul court temporarily suspended the duties of interim leader Rep. Joo Ho-young, chair of the PPP's fledging emergency steering committee. The PPP in turn is in the process of forming a new emergency steering committee, amid a prolonged leadership vacuum and Lee's threats to continue to pursue legal procedures against the party.

The prosecutor and police summons unfolded as the National Assembly's 100-day regular session began last Thursday. The parliament is tasked with passing next year's budget and urgent legislation related to economic support and subsidies.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]