Legal risks mount for main opposition leader ahead of party convention

Main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung is facing another legal dispute now, on top of the three ongoing court battles in which he is currently embroiled, creating more hurdles for his possible reelection victory at the upcoming party convention.

On Wednesday, the Suwon District Prosecutor's Office indicted Lee on charges of asking local underwear maker Ssangbangwool Group to illegally transfer $8 million to North Korea between 2019 and 2020, when he was governor of Gyeonggi Province. The then-governor is alleged to have promised to return the favor by supporting Ssangbangwool’s planned business in the North, as inter-Korean ties were thawing at the time.

The Suwon office charged Lee with third-party bribery and violation of the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act and Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Act. The charges are the latest addition to three ongoing court battles at the Seoul Central District Court regarding allegations of development project-related bribery, election law violations and perjury.

Observers say the mounting legal risks will likely work against Lee, the followers and aides within the Democratic Party of whom in recent months have been pushing for the extension of his term as party chairman, through a second victory at the convention reportedly scheduled for August.

“While the Democratic Party has pro-Lee factions within, recent movements within the party show that Lee has failed to monopolize the party,” said Park Sang-byung, a political commentator.

“Lee would have to give up on running for his second term as the party chairman for the main opposition to prepare and head into the future,” he added.

Lee on Friday denied his involvement in the unauthorized North Korean remittance case, as he arrived at the Seoul Central District Court to attend a hearing on election law violations.

“(I believe that) the North Korea remittance accusations made against me will be later revealed as a fabrication,” Lee told reporters Friday, echoing his earlier remarks made Wednesday, labeling the allegations as “nonsense.”

Friday’s hearing revolved around charges against Lee that he spread false information tied to two land development projects in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, in violation of election law, by denying that he knew a deceased suspect from a state-run company dedicated to land development in Daejang-dong.

The indictment comes nearly a week after the Suwon District Court sentenced former Gyeonggi Province Vice Gov. Lee Hwa-young to nine years and six months in prison on multiple charges, including his involvement in the 2019-20 North Korea remittance case. The former vice governor was handed the sentence after the court recognized $3.94 million of the $8 million as illegal funds.