Did South Korea's DP Candidate Lee Misuse Public Funds?

Suwon (South Korea), May 27 (NationPress) – The attorney representing South Korean Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung categorically refuted all accusations regarding the alleged misuse of public funds for personal gain during his tenure as governor of Gyeonggi province.

This denial was made during the third preparatory hearing of Lee's trial at the Suwon District Court, which Lee did not attend.

Lee faces allegations of misappropriating 106.5 million won (approximately $77,800) from his corporate card and provincial government funds for personal expenditures such as dining and other goods while he served as governor from 2018 to 2021.

During the hearing, Lee's lawyer asserted, "The defendant did not participate in any wrongdoing, nor did he issue any orders for such actions," labeling the indictment as illegal since the police had previously opted not to forward the case to prosecution.

Furthermore, prosecutors have charged both Lee’s former chief of staff and a previous public servant with the same allegations, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.

Initially, the court intended to conclude preparatory hearings on Tuesday but has scheduled an additional session for July 1 upon the request of Lee's lawyer.

Lee has publicly condemned the indictment, asserting that the prosecution lacks substantial evidence.

As the presidential election approaches in just a week, DP candidate Lee Jae-myung continues to maintain a lead in opinion polls, while People Power Party (PPP) candidate Kim Moon-soo is witnessing a gradual increase in support.

The New Reform Party (NRP) candidate Lee Jun-seok, who has dismissed any potential merger of candidacies with Kim, also continues to secure double-digit approval ratings. From Wednesday, the release of new opinion polls will be prohibited under election law.

Recent weekend surveys indicate that DP's Lee leads his competitors by a margin exceeding the 3.1 percentage points margin of error.

A Gallup Korea poll conducted from Saturday to Sunday, commissioned by the JoongAng Ilbo, shows DP's Lee receiving 49% support, ahead of Kim at 35% and Lee Jun-seok at 11%.

In hypothetical one-on-one matchups, DP's Lee leads Kim with 52% to 42% and Lee Jun-seok with 51% to 40%.

Another poll by Research & Research, commissioned by the Dong-A Ilbo and conducted over the weekend, revealed DP's Lee at 45.9%, followed by Kim at 34.4% and Lee Jun-seok at 11.3%.

Additionally, a separate poll by Next Research, conducted from Friday to Sunday for Maeil Business Newspaper and MBN, indicated DP's Lee at 44.9%, Kim at 35.9%, and Lee Jun-seok at 9.6%.

All polls reported a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.