Main opposition leader grilled again for land development scandal

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung reads a statement before being investigated at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Lee refutes Baekhyeon-dong corruption allegations

By Nam Hyun-woo

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung was questioned by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Thursday, as a suspect in a land development scandal in Baekhyeon-dong, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

This is the fourth time Lee has been grilled by the prosecution since taking the helm of the main opposition party. As with his other appearances at the prosecutors' office, Lee cried foul claiming the Yoon Suk Yeol administration was “fabricating false accusations” to persecute the main opposition leader. But speculation is growing that the prosecution will ask the National Assembly to consent to Lee's arrest in the near future.

Lee appeared at the prosecutors' office in Seocho District, Seoul, after the prosecution summoned him on charges including breach of trust over the Baekhyeon-dong scandal.

“It is nothing more than an attempt to hide the Yoon administration's incapability and political failure by using me as prey,” Lee told reporters before entering the office. “It is a politically motivated investigation to cover up their own flaws and shift the blame by fabricating crimes which do not exist.”

Lee said that he would not use his lawmaker's immunity from arrest if prosecutors seek an arrest warrant for him. To arrest an incumbent lawmaker, the prosecution needs parliamentary consent while the National Assembly is in session.

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung, center, speaks to reporters before entering the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

The Baekhyeon-dong scandal is just one of other land development scandals to which Lee has been allegedly linked.

Lee, a former Seongnam mayor, is facing suspicions of granting various privileges to private developers and causing losses to the city government by recognizing the former site of the Korean Food Research Institute in Baekhyeon-dong between 2014 and 2015.

Initially, the city-run Seongnam Development Corp. was supposed to participate in the development project in order to improve fairness and the public nature of the project. But it was sidelined for unclear reasons. Prosecutors believe that the leadership of Seongnam city government received bribes from a private developer, Kim In-seop, during this process. Kim, who is already arrested and indicted, had been Lee's former campaign manager during the 2006 mayoral election.

Thursday's questioning is expected to be a tug-of-war between the prosecutors and Lee. The prosecution reportedly prepared a 250-page document on the chairmen and suspect. But Lee has already submitted and made public his written statements to the prosecution, in which he said he converted the zoning status “under the orders of then-President Park Geun-hye and pressure from the land ministry,” and Seongnam Development Corp.'s participation was not an obligation.

Earlier this year, when Lee was summoned by the prosecution on separate land development scandals regarding Seongnam's Daejang-dong area and Wirye New Town, the chairman submitted a written statement to the prosecution and refused to make additional statements.

“Even if there were even the tiniest speck of wrongdoing, I would have perished already during the hundreds of raids and the suppression of power over the past years,” Lee said. “I believe that straightening out the twisted world is my mission, and will fulfill this without succumbing to any adversity. I am willingly ready to become Sisyphus.”

A supporter of Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Rep. Lee Jae-myung holds a banner criticizing the prosecution in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, Thursday, when the chairman was investigated. Yonhap

He was summoned for bribery charges surrounding corporate donations to the municipal football club Seongnam FC and twice for the Daejang-dong and Wirye New Town scandals.

In February, Lee barely escaped arrest after the National Assembly narrowly voted down a parliamentary consent to arrest the lawmaker over the aforementioned charges. However, the chairman has been struggling with criticism over the suspicions and the use of lawmakers' immunity.

Speculation is growing among politicians that the prosecution will likely attempt to arrest Lee again, and another parliamentary vote may take place on whether to consent to the chairman's arrest.

Given the DPK is now suffering from factional infighting between the pro-Lee faction and others over setting the candidate recommendation rule for next year's general election, an Assembly vote on Lee's arrest will likely aggravate the party's strife.

“You cannot blind the public eye with politically motivated investigations,” DPK spokesperson Rep. Park Seong-jun said, citing the prosecution's investigation on Lee and other investigations of a number of DPK figures, Thursday.

“It seems like the Yoon administration will end up spending its whole tenure investigating the opposition. It should fully devote its five-year term for protecting the people's lives, but is pouring its energy on hunting down the opposition. What a cowardly and pathetic administration it is.”

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) slammed that the chairman is still attempting to avoid arrest.

“Like a parrot, Lee reiterated 'politically-motivated prosecution,' 'fabricated investigation' and 'political persecution” and blamed the Yoon administration, even though the investigations are about his criminal charges,” PPP spokesperson Rep. Kang Min-kuk said.