Yoo Dong-kyu, the former head of the planning division of the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, testified that he brainwashed Lee Jae-myung for 10 years to live for the MDP representative and tried to cover up the fact that he delivered funds to his aides for the presidential race.

At the trial of Kim Yong, former deputy director of the Korea Democracy Research Institute, which was held today (9 May) at the hearing of Section 23 of the Seoul Central District Law Criminal Settlement (Judge Cho Byung-gu), Mr. Yoo said, "I have been indoctrinating myself for the past 10 years, saying, 'I live for Lee Jae-myung.'"

He also claimed, "For that reason, when Representative Lee Jae-myung was sentenced to an invalid election in the second instance when he was governor of Gyeonggi Province, he even thought of self-immolating himself in Gwanghwamun if he lost the case in the Supreme Court (if the election was confirmed)."

Mr. Yu's testimony came in the second half of last year, when the prosecution abruptly changed its attitude and explained the background of the outpouring of statements against Mr. Lee and his entourage.

The prosecutor asked, "On September 2 last year, when he was being investigated for violating the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act, the witness (Mr. Yu) had a change of heart and stated the crime related to the Daejang-dong truthfully?" to which Mr. Yu replied, "Yes."

The prosecutor then asked, "Did the witness first state that on November 9 last year, before appearing before the prosecution again for violating the Conflict of Interest Act and being questioned, 'I have something I want to make a statement,' and that he had delivered funds to defendant Kim Yong for Lee Jae-myung's presidential primary?"

Mr. Yu replied, "Yes," and then added, "It was the lawyer part that created the doubts, it wasn't the part that I thought about at all, and if I hadn't sent (the lawyer) away, I might still be in that state (brainwashed)."

The "lawyer part" mentioned by Mr. Yoo appears to refer to the work of Mr. Mo, who contacted the prosecutor's office in October last year to appoint his case, and Mr. Kim Mo, who around the same time requested an interview with Mr. Yoo because his spouse was curious about what was going on.

Prosecutors said that during Lee Jae-myung's trial on 26 March for violating the Public Offices Election Act, two lawyers contacted Yoo even though he did not want to, and they also confirmed that they spoke to Kim Eui-yong, a member of the Democratic Party.

Mr. Yoo is accused of conspiring with Kim Man-bae, Nam Wook, and Chung Young-hak, private contractors of the Daejang-dong development project, to drive huge profits to the contractors and damage the construction.

Yoo's testimony was a crucial clue to the arrest and prosecution of former Vice Chairman Kim, a close associate of Chairman Lee, and Chung Jin-sang, former head of the Political Affairs Coordination Office of the MDP Representative Office.

As the representative is questioning the credibility of Mr. Yu's statement after the change of government, it is important for the prosecution to convincingly explain to the court the reason for his "change of mind."

Mr. Yoo is on trial for conspiring with former Vice Chairman Kim to receive political funds from the Daejang-dong gang (a violation of the Political Funds Act), but he appeared in court today as a witness in the case of former Vice Chairman Kim.

(Photo = Yonhap News)