(LEAD) Opposition leader to appear for questioning in bribery probe

▲ Main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at a party leadership meeting at the National Assembly on Jan. 6, 2023. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) opposition leader-questioning

(LEAD) Opposition leader to appear for questioning in bribery probe

(ATTN: ADDS DP floor leader's comments in last 2 paras)

SEONGNAM, South Korea, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung was set to appear at a prosecutors office for questioning Tuesday over bribery allegations surrounding corporate donations to a football club while he was serving as the mayor of Seongnam.

Lee, chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), is scheduled to arrive at the Seongnam branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors Office located just south of Seoul at 10:30 a.m. Senior DP lawmakers are expected to accompany him.

Prosecutors suspect Lee, who served as the mayor of Seongnam, just south of Seoul, is linked to allegations that the city government attracted 17 billion won (US$13.7 million) in corporate donations to its municipal football club in return for administrative favors between 2016 and 2018.

The companies include internet portal giant Naver Corp. and Doosan Engineering & Construction Co.

Last year, prosecutors indicted a former head of Doosan Engineering & Construction on charges of donating 5.5 billion won to Seongnam FC in exchange for business favors, and has since expanded the investigation to other firms.

Lee has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the prosecution investigation is a politically motivated attempt to remove him and suppress the main opposition party.

"This is the first administration in our constitutional history that has summoned the sitting head of the No. 1 opposition party to the prosecution," DP floor leader Park Hong-geun said in a party meeting, referring to the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

"On the surface, they talk about the rule of law, but the truth is that this is no different from an immoral iron-fist rule aimed at removing the political enemy of President Yoon Suk Yeol and suppressing the opposition party," he said.

(END)

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