DPK leader Lee indicted for alleged election law violations
Rep. Lee Jae-myung, front center, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), walks down stairs with other members of his party at Yongsan Station in Seoul, Thursday, to bid farewell to Koreans going to hometowns for Chuseok holiday. The DPK leader was indicted for allegations that he violated the election law. Yonhap
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was indicted on Thursday for allegations that he violated the election law by making false statements related to two land development projects in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, while campaigning for the presidential election last year.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office charged Lee, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), with election law violations, one day before the expiry of the statute of limitations for his cases.
Lee is suspected of spreading false information related to a land development project in Seongnam's Daejang-dong, in violation of the election law, by denying knowing a key figure of the project during his presidential campaign.
In a TV interview on Dec. 22 last year, Lee denied acquaintance with Kim Moon-ki, a former head of Seongnam Development Corp.'s project development team, during his time as Seongnam mayor between 2015 and 2016.
Kim was found dead the previous day amid an investigation into his alleged involvement in the Daejang-dong scandal. Civic groups filed complaints against Lee after photos were released showing Lee together with Kim and several others, including some from an extended overseas business trip in January 2015. But Lee has claimed that he did not know Kim because he was a low-level municipal employee.
Lee is also suspected of making false statements about another land development project in Seongnam's Baekhyeon-dong while on the presidential campaign trail last year, also in violation of the election law.
The Baekhyeon-dong scandal centered on allegations that the municipal government of Seongnam gave special treatment to a private developer, which developed the district into apartment complexes between 2015 and 2016.
The private developer reportedly earned windfall profits after the city somehow canceled an earlier plan to provide rental housing and allowed the developer to sell homes to consumers.
Lee, as the DPK presidential candidate, alleged during an Assembly inspection last Oct. 20 that a special favor in the Baekhyeon-dong project was given at the request of the land ministry.
But the People Power Party (PPP), the then opposition party, said the special treatment was found to have been awarded voluntarily by the Seongnam City Government and filed a complaint against Lee on charges of spreading false information in violation of the election law.
Lee was asked to appear before prosecutors for questioning over the allegations earlier this month but eventually decided not to comply with the summons and submitted a written response instead.
Lee ran for president as the DPK's candidate but was narrowly defeated by PPP candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. Lee was elected as the DPK's new chairman last month. (Yonhap)