The prosecution sought a 12-year prison sentence and a fine of 611.1 billion won for Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, in the first trial of private contractors accused of leading the 'Daejang-dong development corruption case.' Former Deputy Minister Yoon Dong-kyu was also sentenced to 7 years in prison and a fine of 1.7 billion won.
On the 27th, the prosecution made these demands during the final hearing for former Deputy Minister Yoon and others, held by the 22nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Director General Cho Hyung-woo).
Additionally, a 10-year prison term and a fine of 64.6 billion won were sought for accountant Jeong Young-hak, a 7-year prison term and a fine of 101 billion won for lawyer Nam Wook, and a 5-year prison term and a fine of 7.44 billion won, along with a recovery of 3.72 billion won for lawyer Jeong Min-yong.
The prosecution noted that the Daejang-dong development project was a venture that the final decision-maker, Lee Jae-myung, referred to as "a golden goose project" due to the tremendous profits anticipated, and said, "Because it was difficult to acquire the business rights through normal means, the private contractors resorted to improper methods, such as assisting election campaigns or bribing officials of Seongnam City and the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation."
The prosecution particularly emphasized that Kim was "a key figure who lobbied public officials for business rights acquisition and the largest beneficiary of this case," adding that "nevertheless, Kim has been keen on concealing his crime and shifting blame from the investigation stage through the trial, making it impossible to find any mitigating circumstances for sentencing."
The prosecution stated that Yoon was "a central figure playing a liaison role between private contractors and public officials," but "initially denied the crimes outright, Yoon was able to have the Daejang-dong development corruption case revealed by bravely knocking on the door of truth even at the risk of severe punishment." They continued, "Such circumstances should be actively considered in determining Yoon's sentence, according to the prosecution's opinion."
Former Deputy Minister Yoon, Kim, Jeong, lawyer Nam, and lawyer Jeong are accused of earning a total of 788.6 billion won in improper gains by utilizing internal secrets of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation during the Daejang-dong project from August 2014 to March 2015. The trial has spanned approximately 3 years and 7 months with 188 hearings since the first hearing began in November 2021.
During the proceedings, the court summoned President Lee Jae-myung, who was the final decision-maker at the time, five times as a witness, but President Lee did not attend any of them. Subsequently, Jeong Jin-sang, a former Chief of Staff to the Democratic Party of Korea and a close aide to President Lee, appeared as a witness but refused to testify to all questions.
President Lee is facing a separate trial at the 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Director General Lee Jin-gwan) for leaking essential duties that he learned during his tenure as Seongnam Mayor from August 2014 regarding the Daejang-dong project, allowing private contractors to gain improper profits (violating the law on preventing conflicts of interest). However, after President Lee was elected, the court changed the scheduled hearing date on the 24th based on Article 84 of the Constitution, which specifies the presidential immunity from prosecution, and decided to reschedule it for a later date, indefinitely delaying the trial.