Police said they have questioned a total of 60 people so far in connection with allegations that independent lawmaker Lee Chun-seok conducted stock transactions under borrowed names.
An official at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said at a regular press briefing on the 22nd, "A total of eight complaints have been filed so far, and we have questioned 60 people," adding, "We are conducting an investigation, including analysis of the seized materials taken last time and questioning of those involved." At a press briefing on the 8th, police had said they were questioning a total of 45 people involved.
The dedicated investigation team of the Financial Crimes Investigation Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency executed search and seizure warrants on Lee's parliamentary office twice, on the 11th and 18th.
On the 18th, police cited "additional material to identify the source of funds" as the reason for the search, and it was reported that the warrant specified the seizure of aides' mobile phones as its purpose. This prompted speculation that the investigation had expanded beyond a key aide, a person surnamed Cha who was booked along with Lee, to other aides as well.
However, when asked whether the number of suspects had increased after seizing aides' mobile phones, a police official said only, "At this stage, it is difficult to say whether additional bookings have been made." The official added regarding the increase in related persons, "We are taking a broad look at matters related to the alleged offenses under investigation, and they are figures connected to those matters."
Lee is suspected of violating the Real Name Financial Transactions Act by trading stocks on a mobile phone in the main chamber of the National Assembly using an account under aide Cha's name. The stock account captured at the time held artificial intelligence (AI)–related shares such as Naver and LG CNS, and because Lee serves as the second economics subcommittee chief in charge of AI policy at the Presidential Committee on Policy Planning, he also faces an allegation of violating the conflict of interest law.
Police reportedly detected indications that aide Cha deposited several million won into the stock account on multiple occasions and are investigating. It is also said that while Lee reported assets in the 400 million won range over the past four years, investigators confirmed indications that more than 1 billion won worth of stocks were purchased over three years through an account under aide Cha's name.