WITNESS OF LEE'S CASE FOUND DEAD

[Anchor Lead]

A man who raised an allegation that DP presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung had someone else pay his legal fees has been found dead in a motel where he had stayed for a long time. Police found him after his family had reported him missing.

[Pkg]

A motel in, Yangcheon-gu, western Seoul. A man in his 50s was found dead there on Tuesday evening. His family had lost contact with him three days prior and reported it to the police.

[Soundbite] Motel staff(VOICE MODIFIED) : "(What did they say on the phone?) They asked me to knock on his door. I did, but nobody answered. I kicked the door, but still no answer. When I opened it, he was lying still in bed, sleeping."

The deceased man was identified as the person who raised the allegation that DP presidential nominee Lee Jae-myung had someone else pay his lawyer fees. He claimed that a lawyer who handled Lee Jae-myung's election law violation case from 2018 received 300 million won in cash and stocks worth 2 billion won from someone other than Lee Jae-myung. Sources say the man was preparing to disclose more information.

[Soundbite] Lee Min-seok(Lawyer, Acquaintance of deceased) : "(Were there any other audio files regarding Lee Jae-myung?) I think there are quite a few of them. I don't know exactly how many, but there are at least 5 or 6 for sure."

Another person well acquainted with the matter said the deceased received a lot of pressure from the DP.

[Soundbite] Baek Kwang-hyun(Acquaintance of deceased) : "He got a lot of pressure from the D P and Lee Jae-myung. (You said he received a lot of pressure from DP and Lee Jae-myung...) Right. There was even a complaint filed."

Police have found no suicide note or evidence of murder. The man's family and those close to him say although his family's medical history may include heart disease and diabetes, he personally had no illnesses that could cause a sudden death.