Police raid National Assembly Secretariat over lawmaker's alleged illegal stock trading
Rep. Lee Choon-suak, right, leaves the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Mapo District, Aug. 15. Yonhap
Police raided the National Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday over allegations of a lawmaker's illegal stock trading under a borrowed name.
The raid on the secretariat's office inside the National Assembly compound came as police are investigating allegations Rep. Lee Choon-suak, formerly of the ruling Democratic Party, traded in stocks using the name of his aide, surnamed Cha.
The four-term lawmaker is accused of violating laws on real name financial transactions and conflict of interest prevention.
He left the party earlier this month after a press photo captured him using a cellphone inside the main chamber of the National Assembly to check and trade stocks in Naver, LG CNS and other artificial intelligence-related companies under the aide's name.
Police launched the raid to seize entry logs of Lee and his aides and surveillance camera footage from outside his office.
The material will be used together with records of his stock transactions and AI policy briefings to verify allegations he abused his former position as the AI policy chief of the presidential State Affairs Planning Committee to gain information for his stock purchases.
During earlier police questioning, Lee and Cha reportedly admitted to stock trading under a borrowed name, but the lawmaker denied using his position to gather undisclosed information.