ARREST WARRANT REVIEW HELD FOR JEONG

[Anchor Lead]

Arrest warrant review for political affairs coordinator Jeong Jin-sang was held this afternoon. The prosecution alleged that he received bribes and violated the anti-corruption law, but Jeong, considered one of the confidants of Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, has denied all charges.

[Pkg]

Jeong Jin-sang, political affairs coordinator for the Democratic Party leader, was summoned and questioned by the prosecution on November 15th. The prosecution requested an arrest warrant twelve hours after they questioned him. As of two o'clock this afternoon, the Seoul Central District Court is holding a warrant review to determine if Jeong should be investigated. Jeong is charged with four allegations, including violation of the anti-corruption law and bribery. The prosecution suspects Jeong, a former Seongnam government worker, to have selected attorney Nam Wook as a developer for Wirye New Town to direct 21 billion won in profit and later choosing Kim Man-bae to lead the Daejang-dong development project and receiving 42.8 billion won in kickback. Jeong also allegedly received 140 million won in bribes over six occasions between 2013 and 2020. He is also accused of instructing former Seongnam Development Corporation executive Yoo Dong-gyu to throw away his mobile phone right before the search and seizure of his home last year. The prosecution reportedly grilled him on these allegations for 14 hours, but he is known to have flatly denied all charges. Following the request for his arrest warrant, Jeong spoke about his position through the Democratic Party.

[Soundbite] Han Min-su(DP Spokesperson) : "Jeong has said that he believes in only the truth and that he will confidently and honorably undergo investigations."

The Democratic Party criticized the prosecution for conducting a bogus investigation and requesting a warrant based only on witness testimonies without a single piece of evidence. Jeong's arrest will be determined tonight at the earliest.