Picture of a Stack of Money Linking Lee Jae-myung to Organized Crime, Is It Fake? Democratic Party Claims It Found the Same Picture

[경향신문]

The so-called “money-bragging” picture posted by Bak, a member of an organized criminal group, on November 21, 2018. Image captured on Facebook

At the parliamentary inspection on October 18, lawmaker Kim Yong-pan (People Power) presented a picture claiming that it supported the allegation that Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung received bribes of 2 billion won from an organized criminal group, but the Democratic Party argued that the picture was fake. The Democratic Party found and presented a picture of cash exactly like the one lawmaker Kim released. Lee Jae-myung described the latest incident as “a comedy.” He criticized, “A clear attempt to intentionally take advantage of parliamentary immunity should be punished” and argued that the people making such attempts should be responsible for compensation.

This day, when the parliamentary Public Administration and Security Committee inspected the Gyeonggi-do Provincial Government, lawmaker Kim Yong-pan repeatedly raised the allegation that Lee Jae-myung received a huge bribe from an organized criminal group in the Seongnam area.

His allegations were based on a tip from Bak, a former member of the International Mafia gang as well as an employee at Komatrade, a related company, currently detained at Suwon Detention Center. Kim even released a picture of a stack of cash, claiming it was the bribe, during the parliamentary inspection this morning. Bak handed the lawmaker the picture claiming that it was taken before delivering the bribe to Lee Jae-myung.

During the questioning, Kim argued, “Bak stated that Governor Lee had close ties with the International Mafia gang prior to 2007 when he worked as a lawyer and that the gang members brought cases to Lee in exchange for commissions.”

But in the parliamentary inspection this evening, the Democratic Party said, “We found the same picture,” and released it.

The picture showed the same stack of cash, with the same composition and details as the picture presented by the opposition lawmaker earlier. The picture was posted on Facebook, by a person believed to be Bak, along with the words, “Money I earned.” The business card of a rent-a-car company in the picture showed the name, “Bak **.” The picture was posted on Facebook on November 21, 2018.

In the parliamentary inspection, Democratic Party lawmaker Han Byung-do said, “It is the same picture as the one posted in November 2018, when Governor Lee wasn’t even the mayor of Seongnam,” and added, “The picture was intended to show off that he (Bak) had earned money as a loan shark, earned money from a rent-a-car business and by lending money in November 2018.”

Lee Jae-myung said, “It is frustrating how they carelessly act as if we should just forget about it, if it’s not true. I believe that a clear attempt to intentionally take advantage of legislative immunity should be punished and that they should be responsible for compensation.” He also said, “The file of the picture in question shows when the picture was taken. If it doesn’t then it is a forged picture. They are so thoughtless,” and added, “Really, I don’t think there’s been a comedy this outrageous.”

People Power Party lawmaker Kim Yong-pan releases a picture of a stack of cash claiming that the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung was connected to an organized criminal group at the parliamentary inspection of the Gyeonggi-do Provincial Government by the parliamentary Public Administration and Security Committee at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government office on October 18. National Assembly press photographers