On Wednesday, following the release of a report from the Ministry of Justice’s special inspection team that included transcripts of Kim Sung-tae, the former chairman of Ssangbangwool, meeting with officials in detention, voices emerged from the pro-government coalition calling for the dismissal of charges against President Lee Jae Myung.
Democratic Party members of the National Assembly’s investigation committee, including Lee Geon-tae, Park Sung-jun, Lee Yong-woo, Lee Joo-hee, Yang Bu-nam, and Park Seon-won, held a press conference at the National Assembly’s media center regarding the Ssangbangwool North Korean remittance case. They declared that this was clearly a case of fabricated prosecution, and vowed to thoroughly investigate the allegations and hold those responsible accountable to uphold justice.
The lawmakers emphasized that according to the report, Kim explicitly stated that he did not provide any funds to Governor Lee Jae Myung. He confided to an acquaintance that he would admit to giving money if he had, but how could he claim something that never happened? They also revealed that Kim succumbed to prosecutorial pressure and instructed his subordinates and Ahn Bu-su to cooperate in fabricating testimonies.
They argued that ultimately, the key evidence for the prosecution’s case against President Lee came from the testimonies of individuals connected to Kim. However, Kim’s detention transcripts clearly demonstrate that his statements were false confessions coerced by the prosecution.
The lawmakers stated that if the prosecution fails to rectify this despite the emergence of such evidence, it would be abandoning its duty as a representative of the public interest. They stressed that the Democratic Party and the National Assembly would hold them accountable. They also requested that the Ministry of Justice submit the 1,600-page report to the committee.
After the press conference, Representative Lee Geon-tae informed reporters that on March 12, it will submit the request for a parliamentary investigation during the National Assembly’s plenary session and swiftly pass the plan to conclude the investigation by April. He added that once the investigation is complete, it will discuss how to proceed with the dismissal of charges based on the findings.
That day, a media outlet reported on the transcripts of Kim’s detention meetings based on the Ministry of Justice’s special inspection team documents. The transcripts included Kim stating that he wants to say that Governor Lee gave money. If Lee did, he would say so. It’s not a lie, highlighting the circumstances surrounding the prosecution’s alleged coercion of testimonies.
Cho Guk, the leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, shared the article on his social media and remarked that this is an outrageous matter. It must severely punish everyone involved. He pointed out that this case clearly illustrates why the crime of legal distortion is necessary and why the charges against President Lee must be dismissed.
Kim Ki-pyo, a Democratic Party member and former prosecutor, also stated on social media that the circumstances where they pressured Governor Lee to say he received money when he did not, as well as the manipulation of testimonies for fabricated prosecutions, are clearly evident. This is just the tip of the iceberg, and a close examination of the document reveals that the prosecution is recklessly manipulating the case against President Lee.
Han Byeong-do, the Democratic Party’s floor leader, mentioned at a Supreme Council meeting that the transcripts of Kim’s meetings, which were exposed in the media that day, serve as evidence proving that the North Korean remittance investigation was a predetermined fabrication. He stated that it is now the National Assembly’s duty to uncover the truth behind the manipulative prosecutions of a politically motivated prosecution that has privatized state power to hunt for prey.
Supreme Council member Hwang Myeong-seon added that the recently released documents from the Ministry of Justice’s special inspection team clearly show that the Ssangbangwool North Korean remittance case was a fabricated investigation designed to eliminate a politician named Lee Jae Myung. Like the saying that poisonous fruit comes from a poisonous tree, if the investigation process is tainted, the resulting prosecution is also invalid.
