Kim Hye-kyung, the spouse of Rep. Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, who is under suspicion of ‘suggestion of corporate card misappropriation’, appeared at the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency as a suspect at regarding 1:45 pm a little while ago.
Prior to the investigation, Mr. Kim entered the building without expressing his position in response to various questions from reporters, such as “Did you order the private use of corporate cards?”
Kim is accused of using corporate cards for personal purposes on several occasions, including having lunch with three people related to the Democratic Party of Korea in August of last year at a restaurant in Seoul and paying for meals with a Gyeonggi business promotion card.
In particular, the police believe that when Rep. Lee was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, his spouse, Kim, provided meals to party officials as a donation prohibited under the Public Official Election Act.
On the 3rd, the police summoned and investigated the former Gyeonggi Provincial Office official, Bae, who served as Kim Hye-kyung’s assistant secretary, as a suspect on the same charge, and on the next day, the 4th, summoned the public interest reporter who first reported the ‘suggestion of misuse of corporate cards’. investigated.
In response to this, Mr. Kim’s side said, “After the meal at the time, Mr. Kim was unaware of the fact that the ‘meal for 3 people (78,000 won)’ was paid by Mr. I didn’t even see Mr.”
He also said, “There is solid evidence that Mr. Kim was unaware that he was using a corporate card, but it is regrettable that the police even subpoenaed the investigation,” he said.
In February, when the corporate card controversy arose, Kim held a press conference and apologized, saying, “As a public official’s spouse, I had to be careful regarding everything and clearly distinguish between public and private, but I was lacking a lot.”
The police explained, “The statute of limitations for violating the Election Act expires in early September and the investigation will be completed within this month.”
