LEE MYUNG-BAK JAILED AGAIN

[Anchor Lead]

Former President Lee Myung-bak has been imprisoned after nine months upon receiving his final verdict from the Supreme Court. Lee is in jail for embezzlement and bribery. Before his incarceration, he said, "You can confine me, but you can't confine the truth."

[Pkg]

[Soundbite] "Lee Myung-bak! Lee Myung-bak! Lee Myung-bak!"

Lee Myung-bak's supporters filling up a back alley chant his name. His former aides and confidantes who have come to say goodbye to him have grim looks on their faces. At 1:46 p.m., the gate opens and a car carrying the disgraced former president leaves his residence. Fifteen minutes later it arrives at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office, and Lee undergoes an imprisonment procedure. He is then transported to the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in a vehicle provided by the prosecution. At 2:40 p.m., he arrives at the detention center, where he is imprisoned again after about 250 days. Lee Myung-bak was transported by car through the entire process and did not issue any statements to the public. Prior to leaving his residence, he was sent off by close aids. To which Lee's attorney quoted him as saying that he would be fine and would endure everything through faith. He added, "You can confine me, but you cannot confine the truth." Lee will be incarcerated for 16 years unless he is released on parole or pardoned. He is currently staying in an individual cell measuring 13 square meters. He had been incarcerated there from March 2018 through early this year. Convicts with confirmed sentences are usually imprisoned in jail, but Lee's final venue of incarceration will be decided in three to four weeks. Because of his advanced age, Lee might serve his sentence at the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, which is known to have relatively better facilities. The law stipulates that any disgraced former president sentenced to imprisonment will lose his or her privileges as the country's former leader. Like all convicted former presidents, Lee Myung-bak has been deprived of his privileges as well.