AUDIO FILE SUBMITTED AS EVIDENCE

[Anchor Lead]

There has been speculation that former Seongnam Development Corporation chief Hwang Moo-seong was pressured by a close aide of then-Seongnam mayor Lee Jae-myung to resign his post. This apparently happened when the Daejang-dong project was about to kick off. An audio file containing such evidence has been disclosed. Those mentioned in the file have denied the allegation.

[Pkg]

​​On February 6, 2015, when Hwacheondaeyu was founded, then-Seongnam Development Corporation President Hwang Moo-seong and the corporation's land development official Yoo Han-ki had a conversation in Hwang's office. An audio file of their talks has been disclosed by People Power Party lawmaker Kim Eun-hye. In the audio, Yoo says Hwang must resign immediately. As Hwang sounds frustrated to hear that it was Yoo Dong-kyu's decision, Yoo Han-ki mentions then-Seongnam mayor Lee Jae-myung. A person surnamed Chung is also mentioned among those who want Hwang to step down. Hwang eventually resigned a month later before finishing even half of his term. Yoo Dong-gyu oversaw the Daejang-dong project as the corporation's acting president. Hwang told prosecutors Chung was a policy chief and close aide of the Seongnam mayor. Prosecutors are investigating if Hwang's resignation involved meddling from senior officials. Chung said there were always people who betrayed him when things like this happened, and that he did not discuss Hwang's course of actions with anyone. Lee Jae-myung has also denied the allegation. Yoo Han-ki has turned down KBS' request for comment. Prosecutors have summoned the daughter of former special counsel Park Young-soo for allegedly receiving an apartment owned by Hwacheondaeyu when she was working there.