Over allegations that alcohol was brought into the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office during the investigation into SSANGBANGWOOL Group's remittances to North Korea, Prosecutor Park Sang-yong, who was in charge at the time, and former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwa-young made diametrically opposed claims at a National Assembly audit, sparking a battle over the truth.

Lee Hwa-young, former Gyeonggi Provincial vice governor for peace, on the 23rd requests the floor during the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee's audit of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, asking to speak while Professor Park Sang-yong of the Judicial Research and Training Institute is answering about his investigation into her overseas remittance to North Korea. /Courtesy of News1

At the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee audit of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 23rd, Park, responding to Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Ki-pyo's question, "There was a report of a transcript of (Kim Seong-tae's) detention center visit stating, 'Put alcohol in a plastic bottle and bring it. It's been discussed with the prosecutor.' As the prosecutor in charge, did you allow drinking alcohol, or did you in any way permit the circumstances under which Kim Seong-tae came to say that?" answered that it was "fake news."

Previously, some media reported that on the morning of May 17, 2023, the Ministry of Justice confirmed a detention center visit transcript in which Chairman Kim Seong-tae instructed an employee who came to visit, in effect, "Prepare alcohol in a plastic bottle," and "You can tell the prosecutor through the lawyer."

Park said, "When I first heard the media report and checked it in various ways, I came to think it was fake news." In response to Kim's question, "Did you ever drink alcohol in your own office?" Park answered, "I have said multiple times that I did not."

By contrast, former Vice Governor Lee testified the opposite of Park, saying there was a time when alcohol was consumed in the prosecutor's office.

In response to Kim's question, "Was there in fact an instance of drinking alcohol at the time?" Lee said, "Yes. It was in Prosecutor Park Sang-yong's Office No. 1313, in the video recording room."

When Kim asked, "How was the alcohol supplied?" Lee answered, "A person surnamed Park, who was an SSANGBANGWOOL employee, brought the alcohol in something like a plastic bottle, and in paper cups we, myself and Prosecutor Park Sang-yong and an investigator…"

To the follow-up question, "Did Prosecutor Park Sang-yong also drink alcohol?" Lee said, "I cannot confirm that. I'm not sure." On how the alcohol was brought in, Lee testified, "I don't remember exactly whether it was a plastic bottle or some other bottle," adding, "It did not come in as a whole soju bottle."

A battle over the truth then continued over the prosecution's investigation into SSANGBANGWOOL's remittances to North Korea.

Lee said "yes" to Democratic Party lawmaker Jeon Hyeon-hee's remark that "in effect, Prosecutor Park Sang-yong appears to have fabricated SSANGBANGWOOL's stock manipulation case into a remittances-to-North-Korea case," and added, "Just like attorney Kim Gwang-min, lawyers who would prevent testimony unfavorable to Lee Jae-myung were strongly blocked from coming to the (prosecutor's) office."

Lee added, "The prosecutor said, 'The presence of a lawyer increases the completeness of the statement (that includes testimony unfavorable to Lee Jae-myung),' and told Kim Seong-tae, 'Quickly find an attorney for Lee Hwa-young.'"

In response to Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo's question, "What did the prosecutors ask the witness to do?" Lee answered, "They coaxed and pressured me to give testimony unfavorable to then-Chair Lee Jae-myung."

The opposition bloc, however, pointed out that there were problems with the credibility of Lee's testimony.

People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo criticized, "Lee Hwa-young said at last year's audit that the drinking party was on June 18, but now has changed the date (to May 17). The time frame also keeps shifting. During the prosecution's questioning, he spoke as if he drank in the afternoon between 4 and 6 p.m., but at last year's audit he said until 11 p.m. It has been revealed as a textbook false testimony."

Lee countered, "I clearly said at this committee last year that it was some day between May and July and that I was confused, but they edited that out with malicious intent."

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