Opposition leader Lee's wife asked to appear before prosecutors over credit card allegations
SUWON, South Korea, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- The wife of Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung has been asked to appear before prosecutors for questioning about allegations on her personal use of a provincial government's corporate credit cards years ago, informed officials said Wednesday.
The Suwon District Prosecutors Office in Suwon, 50 kilometers south of Seoul, sent the summons to Kim Hye-kyung on the day, the officials said, adding the requested attendance date has yet to be confirmed.
Kim is reportedly facing a charge for an alleged breach of trust, as she is suspected of tacitly approving her former protocol secretary's alleged misuse of the Gyeonggi provincial government's corporate credit cards to buy food for her from July 2018 to September 2021, when her husband was Gyeonggi governor.
The monetary value of alleged corporate card misuse by the former secretary, identified only by her surname Bae, is said to reach 20 million won (US$14,850) in more than 150 cases.
Of the total, about 20 cases of alleged corporate card misuse, worth about 2 million won, are said to be directly related to Kim.
Kim also faces a separate charge for an alleged election law violation, as she is accused of providing meals worth about 100,000 won to three figures related to the DP at a Seoul restaurant on Aug. 2, 2021, when Lee was running for the party's presidential primary.
Lee ran for president as a DP candidate but was narrowly defeated by People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. Lee was elected as the DP's new chair last month.
Kim was earlier summoned to police on Aug. 23 to face five-hour-long questioning about her credit card misuse allegations and other suspicions. Kim reportedly denied involvement in the alleged corporate card misuse by Bae.
About a week later, a district court rejected the police's arrest warrant request for Bae. The Gyeonggi police then transferred the case to the prosecution at the end of last month.

This file photo taken Aug. 23, 2022, shows Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung, leaving the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency in Suwon, south of Seoul, after about five hours of questioning about her corporate card allegations. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
ycm@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
S. Korea to allow online permit-free entry for tourists from 22 nations to spur spending
-
Opposition leader calls on Yoon to reject imports of products from Japan's Fukushima
-
DP leader says Yoon should have stormed out of summit with Japan if Dokdo issue raised
-
One-third of senior public officials have over 2 bln won in personal wealth: data
-
(LEAD) Cha Jun-hwan wins historic silver at figure skating worlds
-
S. Korea to allow online permit-free entry for tourists from 22 nations to spur spending
-
Grandson of ex-President Chun apprehended at Incheon Int'l Airport over drug use
-
One-third of senior public officials have over 2 bln won in personal wealth: data
-
(LEAD) Cha Jun-hwan wins historic silver at figure skating worlds
-
Actor Yoo Ah-in appears for questioning over alleged drug use
-
(LEAD) Grandson of ex-President Chun apologizes to victims of 1980 democracy rising
-
(2nd LD) N. Korea plans to send weapons, munitions to Russia in exchange for food: NSC
-
Top U.S. general cancels plan to visit S. Korea due to time restraints: his office
-
Japan's chip export curbs to have limited impact on S. Korea: industry ministry
-
Actors in Netflix series 'The Glory' dating: agencies