12-11-2023 (SEOUL) Prosecutors in Seoul have indicted opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on corruption charges, following the court’s recent rejection of an arrest warrant against him. Lee, the chair of the Democratic Party, faces allegations of breach of trust, bribery, and other offenses related to his tenure as the mayor of Seongnam from 2014 to 2018. The charges stem from a scandal-ridden land development project in the city’s Bundang district.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office has specifically accused Lee of granting preferential treatment to a private developer in the Baekhyeon-dong district apartment project between 2014 and 2015, resulting in a breach of trust worth 20 billion won ($15 million). Despite the prosecution’s case, the court initially decided not to issue an arrest warrant for Lee on September 27.
