Prosecutors tell DP leader Lee Jae-myung to show up this week for questioning

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung at the National Assembly on Wednesday. Lee has been on a hunger strike since Thursday. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors on Wednesday officially told Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung to show up for questioning regarding allegations that an underwear company illegal wired $8 million to North Korea on his behalf.

Lee has been asked to appear for questioning between Thursday and Saturday.

However, the DP leader responded that he would appear on Sept. 12, which falls on a Tuesday.

This scheduling dispute marks the third time that the prosecutors' office and Lee have clashed over the timing of his questioning. Lee had previously declined two proposed dates citing a busy schedule.

The prosecutors’ office on Aug. 23 first proposed Aug. 30.

However, Lee told the prosecutors’ office that he will be appearing on Aug. 24, the very next day.

The DP leader said he couldn't make it a week later as his schedule was full.

The DP’s offer was rejected as the prosecutors cited the need for adequate preparation.

Prosecutor proposed a third date on Aug. 28, asking Lee show up on Sept. 4, giving him a week to prepare.

However, Lee said he had only a window of two hours for questioning as he had to attend an on-offline conference on the release of radioactive treated water from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

Usually, when a suspect refuses to appear for questioning at least twice in an ongoing investigation, prosecutors can request an arrest warrant as the refusals may be taken as an attempt to tamper with or destroy evidence.

Ahead of Monday’s summoning, the DP leader unexpectedly announced that he was starting an "indefinite" hunger strike marking his first year as head of the biggest political party on Thursday.

Lee claimed the hunger strike is to protest the discharge of treated radioactive water from Fukushima and to force an apology from the Yoon Suk Yeol government for destroying the people’s livelihoods.

However, some members of the People Power Party suspect the hunger strike is simply a ruse to help Lee dodge prosecutors.

Skeptics also question the authenticity of the hunger strike as Lee has been leaving the protest tent in front of the National Assembly building every night, citing security protocols.

People Power Party Rep. Kim Woong even likened Lee to “Cinderella,” who kept disappearing at the stroke of midnight.

The prosecutors' office has intensified its investigation into Lee's involvement in the wiring of funds by the underwear company Sangbangwool (SBW) to Pyongyang between 2018 and 2019.

Investigators suspect that SBW wired a substantial sum, including $5 million disguised as an investment in a smart farm system in North Korea, to secure an invitation for Lee, who was the Gyeonggi governor at the time.

Lee, who had set his eyes on the presidency, was not included in President Moon Jae-in's delegation when it visited North Korea in 2018, despite Gyeonggi's proximity to North Korea.

Late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and then Gangwon Governor Choi Moon-soon were among those invited.

Key suspects who are on trial in relation to SBW’s illegal money wiring have reportedly turned against the DP leader.

SBW Group Chairman Kim Seong-tae in recent months has more vigorously testified against Lee.

He told the court in July that then-Vice Gyeonggi Governor for Peace, Lee Hwa-young, had informed him that Lee Jae-myung knew about SBW Group’s payment to North Korea for the smart farm project on behalf of Gyeonggi government.

Kim also said the vice governor had implied that Lee Jae-myung would support his company if SBW Group paid North Korea.

Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young has not yet confessed in court. But reports since July suggest that he has altered his previous statements, acknowledging that he informed Lee Jae-myung about the dealings with North Korea.

The DP itself is facing accusations of impeding court proceedings, including disruptions caused by Lee Hwa-young's wife, who shouted at her husband in court and accused him of lying.

She claimed that her husband had confessed in prison that there were no requests from Lee Jae-myung to push for a visit to North Korea in a letter he wrote in prison.

The vice governor’s wife also fired his lawyer, a decision Lee Hwa-young told the court he opposed and took no part in.

Lee Hwa-young’s lawyer resigned a month later citing issues of trust.

It was later found that DP Rep. Park Chan-dae, a close aide to Lee Jae-myung, had a phone conversation with Lee Hwa-young’s wife, which Park initially denied.

The wiring of funds to North Korea is one of several legal allegations against DP leader Lee Jae-myung, who faces investigations related to real estate projects in Seongnam and Gyeonggi, where he is suspected of leveraging his authority as the city's mayor and the province's governor to benefit private developers with close ties to him.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]