Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party of Korea, was summoned as a witness in the trial of private contractors involved in the Daejang-dong development on the 24th but did not appear, resulting in a fine of 3 million won from the court. This was the second absence following the court hearing on the 21st.
The 22nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (presided over by Director General Jo Hyung-woo) held a court date for five individuals, including Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu, former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation planning headquarters director Yoo Dong-kyu, and attorney Nam Wook, who are charged with breach of trust under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes.
The court noted, "(Representative Lee) has not submitted any additional opinions regarding the absence of the witness" and added, "According to usual procedures, we will impose a fine of 3 million won on the witness (Representative Lee)." The trial lasted just six minutes. Representative Lee attended the event for the banner ceremony at the tent headquarters in Gwanghwamun and the Supreme Committee earlier that morning.
Earlier, the court had decided to conduct the first witness examination for Representative Lee during the court hearing on the 21st. However, Representative Lee's side submitted a notice of absence to the court on the 14th, citing "National Assembly activities" and "appearances in other trials" as reasons. In response, the court stated, "It is necessary for the proceedings" and decided to proceed with the witness examination as scheduled.
However, Representative Lee did not appear in court on the day of the trial on the 21st. The court stated, "The explanation for Representative Lee's absence only included general information" and said, "If he does not appear in the trial on the 24th, we will consider imposing a fine."
According to the Criminal Procedure Act, if a witness fails to appear in court without justifiable reasons, the court may issue a warrant for their appearance. If they still do not appear despite the warrant, the court may impose a fine of up to 5 million won. However, fines are administrative penalties and not criminal punishments.
The next session of this case is set to proceed on the 28th. The court has summoned Representative Lee as a witness for trials on the 28th and 31st, as well as on the 7th and 14th of next month.
Meanwhile, Mr. Kim and other private contractors are accused of colluding with the city of Seongnam during Representative Lee's tenure as mayor, causing a loss of 489.5 billion won to the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation in the Daejang-dong project. Representative Lee is also facing separate trial allegations related to this case. Previously, Mr. Yoo and Mr. Nam appeared as witnesses in Representative Lee's trial.