▲ Lee Jae-myung, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (Yonhap)

(LEAD) prosecution-opposition leader

(LEAD) Prosecution summons opposition leader to appear for questioning in bribery probe

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details from 3rd para; MODIFIES headline)

SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has been asked to appear before prosecutors for questioning over allegations of third-party bribery surrounding corporate donations to a football club years ago, party officials said Thursday.

The case centers on the allegations that the city government of Seongnam, just south of Seoul, attracted about 16 billion won (US$11.2 million) in donations from six entities to a municipal football club in return for administrative favors in the mid-2010s, when Lee, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, was serving as the city's mayor.

According to the party officials, Lee has received a summons from the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office, which has been investigating the Seongnam FC case.

Ranking party officials have reportedly met at the National Assembly to discuss whether Lee should respond to the summons. Lee is said to have begun a two-day trip on the day to the southeastern province of North Gyeongsang and the northeastern province of Gangwon to meet their residents.

Prosecutors are reportedly considering applying a third-party bribery charge to Lee in connection with donations totaling 5 billion won made between 2016 and 2018 by Doosan Engineering & Construction Co. to Seongnam FC, then headed by Lee.

Lee is suspected of changing the city's usage purpose for a 9,900-square-meter section of land owned by Doosan in the city's Bundang district from a hospital to commerce in return for the company's donation provided in the name of advertising expenses. Thanks to the zoning change, Doosan is said to have made huge profits.

Lee's aides have denied the allegations, saying the donations to the football club had nothing to do with the Seongnam city government's zoning change for Doosan.

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