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‘Prosecution withdrawal deal’ rumor tied to Kim Eo-jun raises political controversy

Published: 13 Mar. 2026, 00:03

Kang Chan-ho

The author is an editorial writer of the JoongAng Ilbo.

Among the five trials stemming from eight cases and 12 allegations involving President Lee Jae Myung, the case that likely concerns him most is the alleged illegal remittance to North Korea. Lee was indicted on accusations that, while serving as governor of Gyeonggi, he arranged for the Ssangbangwool Group to pay $5 million for a smart farm project in North Korea and another $3 million for the cost of his potential visit to the North. The payments were allegedly made through his subordinate, former Gyeonggi Vice Governor Lee Hwa-young. Proceedings in Lee’s case have been suspended since he became president.

Lee Hwa-young has already received a final sentence of seven years and eight months in prison for violations including foreign exchange law offenses and is serving his term. His conviction could become important evidence if the president’s trial resumes, making the case politically sensitive. Pro-Lee lawmakers within the Democratic Party have formed a group informally known as the “Prosecution Withdrawal Committee,” pressing prosecutors to drop charges in several cases. Their top priority appears to be the North Korea remittance case.

Kim Seong-tae, the former chairman of Ssangbangwool Group (SBW), speaks to reporters in front of the Suwon District Court after his trial on July 12, 2024. He was handed a two and a half years' imprisonment. [YONHAP]

While on a state visit to the Philippines on Mar. 4, Lee posted a message on social media that again drew attention to the issue. He linked to a news article reporting that former Ssangbangwool Chairman Kim Seong-tae had told an acquaintance visiting him at Suwon Detention Center on March 10, 2023, “If I gave money to Lee Jae Myung, I would rather say I did.” Lee criticized prosecutors in the post, calling what he described as “fabricated investigations” worse than robbery or kidnapping and murder.

The article was based on a 1,600-page transcript compiled by a Justice Ministry inspection team that investigated allegations that prosecutor Park Sang-yong attempted to pressure Lee Hwa-young during questioning through what critics called a “salmon and alcohol party.” The Democratic Party cited the report as evidence that Lee’s indictment was manipulated and demanded that the charges be withdrawn.

Questions arise from the timing of Kim Seong-tae’s remarks. Investigators say Kim had already completed his confession related to the North Korea remittance case by late January 2023. The statement cited in the article, however, was made in March that year.

Prosecutor Park Sang-yong offered a different interpretation when contacted. He said the comment was not about the North Korea remittance case but about a separate investigation into allegations that Ssangbangwool paid Lee’s legal fees. At the time prosecutors were questioning Kim intensively about that issue.

According to Park, Kim’s remark was an expression of frustration to a visitor about the investigation. However the comment was reported as if it referred to the North Korea remittance case and later amplified politically as evidence of “fabricated prosecution.”

Park also disputed claims that investigators asked Kim whether he had given money directly to Lee in connection with the North Korea case. The investigation focused not on whether money changed hands but on the nature of funds that Ssangbangwool transferred to North Korea. There would have been no reason for prosecutors to ask whether Kim paid Lee directly, he said, adding that no such question appears in official interrogation records.

Another controversy involves an inquiry by a task force under the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office into allegations that Park had brought alcohol and salmon sashimi into Lee Hwa-young’s interrogation room to pressure him. According to Park, investigators questioned him three times but never asked about the alleged “salmon party.” When he raised the issue himself, he said investigators replied that statements he had already made to the media would suffice.

Former MBC reporter Jang In-soo and host Kim Eo-jun (right) appear on the pro-government YouTube channel “Kim Eo-jun’s News Factory” on March 10. The program first raised the so-called “prosecution withdrawal deal” allegation. [YOUTUBE CAPTURE]

The inquiry began about six months ago but has yet to reach a conclusion. Park said investigators had reviewed all recordings and transcripts and would know the context of Kim Seong-tae’s remarks. Their failure to question him about it, he argued, shows the claim of fabricated prosecution lacks basis.

Another controversy erupted when the YouTube channel run by political commentator Kim Eo-jun suggested that the presidential office and prosecutors might have struck a deal involving the withdrawal of charges. The claim triggered a backlash within the ruling camp.

Some observers interpret the allegation as political pressure. Kim has often defended pro Jung Chung-rae factions during disputes involving the Rebuilding Korea Party and other controversies. Linking the alleged deal to the North Korea remittance case, widely seen as the president’s most vulnerable legal issue, has led critics to accuse him of attempting to leverage the matter politically.

The Democratic Party may view such accusations as unfair. Yet critics argue the party’s actions have contributed to a climate in which such claims gain traction. Despite warnings that the legislation could undermine judicial independence, the party pushed through the three judicial reform laws and called for parliamentary investigations into seven cases involving the president, including the North Korea remittance case.

Such moves, critics say, have fueled speculation about political bargaining with prosecutors. The simplest solution, they argue, is to stop pressure campaigns demanding withdrawal of charges and allow the judicial process to proceed independently.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.