The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's investigation team has been assigned to investigate the allegations of 'stock transaction in another's name' against lawmaker Lee Chun-seok.
According to the police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency assigned the investigation related to lawmaker Lee to the financial crime investigation unit of the investigation team on the 6th. The investigation team is responsible for cases occurring in areas with more than two police stations or cases that require expertise in specialized fields.
Lawmaker Joo Jin-woo of the People Power Party visited the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the morning of the same day and filed a complaint against lawmaker Lee for violating the Capital Markets Act, the Act on the Real Name Financial Transactions, and the Public Officials Ethics Act. In addition to lawmaker Joo, the Citizens' Livelihood Countermeasures Committee, a civic group, also filed a complaint against lawmaker Lee for violating the Act on Real Name Financial Transactions. The Garosero Research Institute and Free University also held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in the afternoon of the same day, accusing lawmaker Lee of violating the Act on Real Name Financial Transactions and the Law on Prevention of Conflicts of Interest. The police are reported to be proceeding with the investigation by merging the related cases.
Lawmaker Lee, who was originally affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, also serves as the Chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee. On the 4th, a media outlet reported on a scene where lawmaker Lee appeared to be conducting stock transactions using a mobile phone app in the National Assembly's main meeting hall. According to the photo, the owner of the stock account was not lawmaker Lee but rather her aide, a person surnamed Cha.
Lawmaker Lee initially denied the allegations, stating, "The mobile phone belongs to my aide, and I have never conducted transactions in another's name," but the following day, a complaint was filed at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul requesting a thorough investigation into the allegations of transactions in another's name suspected of being aimed at creating slush funds, leading to a police investigation, after which she left the Democratic Party.
The Democratic Party noted that "lawmaker Lee submitted her notice of resignation with the purpose of evading punishment" and revealed plans to expel her, subsequently expelling her on the 6th. The party decided to hand over the position of Chairperson of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee to lawmaker Choo Mi-ae. President Lee Jae-myung also directed on the same day regarding the controversy over lawmaker Lee's stock transactions in another's name, saying, "I recognize the seriousness of the matter" and instructed, "Quickly ascertain the facts and conduct a fair and impartial investigation." Consequently, lawmaker Lee also stepped down from her position as Chairperson of the Economic Subcommittee of the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning.