DP leader submits written reply to prosecutors

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung did not comply with a prosecution summons on Tuesday for the charge of publishing false information under the Public Election Act. The prosecution, which conducted a search and seizure the Gyeonggi Provincial Office on the relevant charge immediately after Lee’s disobedience to a prosecution summons, is expected to indict Lee without detention.

“Since Chairman Lee complied with the prosecution’s demand for written investigation and submitted a written response accordingly, whereby the grounds for summons have ceased to exist, Chairman Lee will not appear before the prosecution,” Senior Spokesperson of the Democratic Party Ahn Ho-young said. Earlier, the prosecution revealed that it requested a summons because Lee did not respond to the written questions it had sent earlier.

“Consensus inside and outside the party is that Lee Jae-myung should not be tugged and towed by political oppression on the basis of groundless accusations,” said spokesperson Ahn. “Chairman Lee submitted a written response at the request of the prosecution on Monday and informed the prosecution on the phone.” The Democratic Party has resisted against the prosecution’s summons of Lee simultaneously with the commencement of the regular session of the National Assembly, referring to it as ‘political retaliation and oppression.’

Despite Lee’s disobedience to summons, the prosecution will review his written response and bring an indictment on the charge of publishing false information under the Public Election Act as early as Thursday. The Public Investigation Bureau of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office conducted a search and seizure of the Gyeonggi Provincial Office, where Lee’s confidant, who had worked as PR staff for then-Seongnam Mayor Lee, is working, to the last minute in order to secure evidence.


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