PROSECUTORS RAID NAVER & CHA HOSPITAL

[Anchor Lead]

Prosecutors have conducted another round of raids related to allegations that main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, when he was Seongnam city mayor, drew corporate donations for a municipal football club in return for business favors. Following an earlier search of Doosan Engineering & Construction, the latest raids targeted Internet portal giant Naver and CHA Bundang Medical Center, raising speculation the investigation may be back to square one.

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This is Naver's second office building located in Bundang, Seongnam city. The building was completed this year after gaining a construction permit in 2016 when Lee Jae-myung was the city's mayor. The nearby CHA Medical Center obtained a building permit in 2015 for the establishment of a stem cell research complex by changing land use terms of sites that used to house a police station and a public health center. In Monday's raids, prosecutors searched these two locations. They were both granted critical permits by city officials. Another common factor is they both made donations to Seongnam FC, the municipal football club. Naver donated 3.9 billion won in 2016 through a public interest corporate entity while CHA medical center donated 3.3 billion won from 2015. The prosecution is looking into whether the donations are connected to the building permits, possibly a quid pro quo. An earlier probe by the police only determined bribery charges against Doosan Engineering & Construction, out of six firms questioned. However prosecutors are expanding their own investigation, also targeting Naver and CHA medical center. Some suspect the probe is likely back to square one and the case is being looked at all over again. The Democratic Party has fiercely protested the raid.

[Soundbite] Kim Eui-kyeom(DP Spokesperson) : "The public are no longer deceived by (President) Yoon Suk-yeol and (Justice Minister) Han Dong-hoon‘s vulgar tactic to divert attention away from Yoon’s humiliating diplomacy during his overseas trip."

Lee Jae-myung did not issue a statement. Naver and CHA medical center also refused to give statements regarding the investigation.