Prosecutors summon ex-DP chief, wife for questioning over alleged official card misuse

Prosecutors have notified former leader of the Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, and his wife, Kim Hye-kyung, to appear for questioning over allegations of corporate credit card misuse when Lee served as the governor of Gyeonggi, sources said.

Prosecutors have notified former leader of the Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, and his wife, Kim Hye-kyung, to appear for questioning over allegations of corporate credit card misuse when Lee served as the governor of Gyeonggi, sources said Sunday.

Prosecutors at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office notified Lee of the questioning last Thursday over charges of breach of duty, according to the sources.

The two sides are said to have agreed to arrange a finalized date for the session.

The prosecutors' office later issued a statement saying the summons is a "normal investigation procedure" in line with the criminal procedure code and aims to give the accused an opportunity to explain their positions.

Lee and his wife are accused of allegedly misusing the corporate card from 2018 to 2019 for personal use by making a former Gyeonggi provincial government official, surnamed Bae, use the card to buy food items when Lee served as governor.

The allegations were first made public by another former employee of the provincial government, leading to Bae's indictment on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act and his subsequent sentencing to a 10-month prison term, suspended for two years.

Should Lee respond to the summons, it will be the seventh time he will appear for questioning by prosecutors.

Among other things, he has previously been questioned over corruption allegations related to development projects in the Daejang-dong and Wirye districts in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, dating back to when he was mayor of the city, and separate allegations he offered administrative favors to four companies in exchange for corporate donations to football club Seongnam FC.

Last month, prosecutors indicted Lee on charges of involvement in an unauthorized transfer of $8 million to North Korea. Lee has criticized the indictment, saying the allegations "defy common sense."