▲ The leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) Lee Jae-myung speaks under a tent as he continues his sit-in hunger strike against the government on Sept. 1, 2023. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) DP leader-prosecution

(LEAD) DP leader to appear before prosecutors for questioning Monday

(ATTN: UPDATES with prosecution reaction in 5th para)

By Kang Jae-eun

SEOUL, Sept. 1 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung will appear before prosecutors for questioning next week in compliance with a summons over allegations of his involvement in a company's illegal money transfers to North Korea, his party said Friday.

Lee, who has been on a hunger sit-in against the government, plans to show up at a prosecutors' office Monday, Rep. Kang Sun-woo, a spokesperson of Lee's main opposition Democratic Party, told reporters.

The Suwon District Prosecutors Office earlier served him a summons requesting his appearance Monday.

Lee, however, plans to attend the questioning only in the morning hours on Monday due to an unavoidable schedule conflict, Kang said, adding the party will consult with the prosecution to continue additional questioning sometime next week.

The prosecution office immediately hit back at Lee's plan, saying the questioning cannot be cut short. It also said Lee's lawyer has been informed that the questioning will be conducted to the fullest extent as originally planned.

It will mark the fifth time that Lee has appeared for prosecution questioning. He has been under investigation over a series of corruption allegations that he claims were fabricated, and was last questioned on Aug. 17.

The upcoming questioning will be about allegations that Ssangbangwool Group, an underwear manufacturer, unlawfully remitted US$8 million to North Korea between January 2019 and January 2020 on behalf of Gyeonggi Province when Lee was governor.

Prosecutors suspect that $3 million was intended to facilitate Lee's planned visit to Pyongyang, while the remainder was meant for Gyeonggi's smart farm support program in North Korea.

Lee launched the hunger sit-in in front of the main National Assembly building on Thursday, saying he will fight for the people against what he called the "incompetent and violent" government of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Lee also claimed his innocence, likening the prosecution's repeated summons to "stalking."

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