Prosecutors in South Korea have announced their intention to indict Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung on bribery charges. The move follows a court ruling on June 7 that convicted a former provincial official in a case involving illegal money transfers to North Korea, with the verdict stating that Lee had been aware of the payments.
The Suwon District Court sentenced Lee Hwa-young, the former vice governor of Gyeonggi Province, to nine years and six months in prison. He was found guilty of accepting bribes and violating foreign exchange laws by facilitating unauthorized remittances to North Korea by the Ssangbangwool Group, a South Korean company.
According to the court’s verdict, the funds, totaling $8 million, were intended to pave the way for a visit to Pyongyang by Lee Jae-myung while he served as governor of Gyeonggi Province and to support a provincial smart farm project in North Korea. The court concluded that Lee Hwa-young arranged for Ssangbangwool Group to make these payments and subsequently reported the developments to then-Governor Lee.
Following the verdict, the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office, which has been investigating the case, confirmed it will move forward with charging Lee Jae-myung with third-party bribery. This charge alleges that he, as a public official, enabled a third party—in this case, North Korea—to receive a bribe from Ssangbangwool Group in exchange for political and business favors.
The court’s decision has intensified political reactions. The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has called for Lee Jae-myung to step down from his leadership position and his seat in the National Assembly. “Lee Jae-myung should now step down from his party chairmanship and his parliamentary seat to be judged by the judiciary,” PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho stated at a party meeting.
In response, the Democratic Party has described the investigation and the impending indictment as politically motivated. The party has maintained that the case against its chairman is a “political vendetta” orchestrated by the current government and its prosecutors. A party spokesperson said the prosecution’s case is based on fabricated testimony and lacks direct evidence.
Lee Jae-myung has consistently denied all allegations related to the Ssangbangwool case, describing the claims as “absurd” and a “complete fabrication.” He is currently on trial for separate corruption and breach of trust charges connected to a land development project during his time as mayor of Seongnam. The formal indictment in the North Korea remittance case is expected to be filed soon.
