Lee Kwang-jae (politician)

8.1. Military Service Evasion Allegations

A persistent controversy surrounding Lee Kwang-jae involves allegations of military service evasion. In 1985, he was initially enlisted for national service, but he was exempted in 1986 after losing his right forefinger. The core of the controversy revolved around the circumstances and intentionality of this injury.

Over the years, Lee provided conflicting accounts of how his finger was cut. In a 2003 interview with The Dong-a Ilbo, he stated that his forefinger was severed while using a press machine at a factory in Bupyeong, where he claimed to have been working undercover. He even offered to accompany the reporter to the site to confirm his story. However, later that same year, at the National Assembly Proceeding Hall, he told a different story, stating that the incident occurred during his university life. Later, in a television debate, he claimed he cut his finger due to depression.

The issue escalated into a major controversy when, prior to the 2004 general election, he published his autobiography titled Dream of a Spring Water. In the book, he described purposely cutting his finger to write a blood oath on a Taegukgi after witnessing the self-immolation of students in 1986. This account directly contradicted his previous explanations.

Oh Seung-jae, the Deputy Spokesperson of the Grand National Party (GNP), suggested that the incident was "on purpose to default national service," citing Lee's autobiography and military physical examination records. He pointed out that Lee received a Grade 5 exemption (exemption from active duty) on May 15, 1986, just 17 days after the student self-immolations on April 28, 1986. Oh questioned how Lee could have received an exemption so quickly if the injury required a minimum of four weeks for recovery, suggesting a possible "military service corruption" angle and demanding the release of Lee's military records. Oh further inferred that the incident must have occurred before December 12, 1985, when Lee had received a Grade 2 active duty judgment. Kim Hyong-o, a GNP Member of Parliament, critically compared Lee to An Jung-geun, stating, "No one doubts the patriotism for An's short finger. At least he left a finger to use a gun when the country is under crisis," implying Lee's act lacked patriotism.

Lee Kwang-jae defended himself by explaining, "It's meaningless to talk about my finger without considering the year of 1986, when I could be tortured if I was enlisted. If I mentioned the names of my comrades to avoid tortures, they would be victimized. I couldn't even accept it." He clarified that the act was "on purpose" to write in blood on a Taegukgi as a pledge "not to betray his colleagues." He added that he would accept criticism for draft evasion but maintained that the experience helped him overcome difficult times. His wife, Lee Jung-sook, publicly urged people to stop discussing the matter. Some activists from the "386 generation" (a term for those born in the 1960s who were student activists in the 1980s) expressed skepticism about the military evasion motive, noting that at the time, even a probation sentence could lead to military exemption.

8.2. Political Funding and Corruption Allegations

Lee Kwang-jae has faced multiple accusations and convictions related to illegal political funding and other criminal activities throughout his career.

His earliest recorded legal issues include charges of **forgery of public documents, theft, and violation of the National Security Act**. He was arrested on November 18, 1987, by the Anti-Communist Division of the Public Security Headquarters. On March 11, 1988, the Seoul Criminal District Court sentenced him to two years in prison, two years of disqualification, and three years of probation. He was later granted a special pardon on December 21, 1988.

In 2004, Lee was accused of receiving illegal political funds from the **Sun & Moon Group**. On July 26, 2004, the Seoul Central District Court found him guilty of violating the Political Funds Act and sentenced him to a fine of 30.00 M KRW and a forfeiture of 5.00 M KRW. It was confirmed that he received 100.00 M KRW from Moon Byung-wook, the group's chairman, and 5.00 M KRW from Vice President Kim Sung-rae. The court cited the relatively small scale of the illegal funds and the absence of coercion as reasons for imposing a fine rather than a heavier sentence.

In 2005, Lee faced a charge of **false statement during a general election**. On May 12, 2005, the Chuncheon District Court, Yeongwol Branch, fined him 800.00 K KRW for using the phrase "4th-grade special civil servant deputy county chief-level aide in his 20s" during his election campaign, which was deemed a false statement. The court considered it an objectively false statement but noted its minor impact on the election outcome.

A significant allegation emerged on December 16, 2005, when the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Central Investigation Department revealed that the **Samsung Group** had delivered 600.00 M KRW in bonds to Lee Kwang-jae, who was serving as the planning team leader for Roh Moo-hyun's presidential campaign in 2002. However, the prosecution stated that the statute of limitations for political funding law violations had expired, thus preventing criminal prosecution. Critics have suggested that the extensive exposure of Roh Moo-hyun's close aides to Samsung's influence contributed to the former president's inability to remain entirely free from the conglomerate's sway.

The most high-profile case was the **Park Yeon-cha Lobbying Incident**. Lee was investigated for allegedly receiving bribes from businessman Park Yeon-cha. On June 12, 2009, during a court hearing, Park Yeon-cha publicly apologized to Lee, stating that he had repeatedly tried to give Lee over 1.00 B KRW but Lee had consistently refused. Park expressed regret for his earlier testimony to the prosecution, admitting that he did not know why he had previously claimed to have given money to Lee. When Lee directly questioned Park in court, asking, "I ultimately did not receive the money, did I?", Park responded "Yes," retracting his previous statements. However, the Seoul High Court, in March 2010, decided to uphold the guilty verdict, ruling that Park Yeon-cha's initial testimony was specific and consistent enough to establish guilt. On June 11, 2010, the court reiterated that the testimonies of those who provided the money were "concrete and consistent, providing sufficient evidence for guilt." It also rejected Lee's request to recall Park as a witness, stating that despite Park's absence, his relationship with Lee made it difficult to view his initial testimony as false.

Despite his appeal, the Supreme Court confirmed the original prison sentence on January 27, 2011, leading to Lee's removal from the Gangwon governorship. Lee expressed deep disappointment with the "trial procedures and results." The Democratic Party criticized the ruling as politically motivated, pointing out that Grand National Party members involved in the Park Yeon-cha lobbying incident had received lighter sentences, allowing them to retain their parliamentary seats, while Lee and fellow Democratic Party member Seo Gap-won lost their positions. The Democratic Party spokesperson, Lee Chun-seok, stated that the "Park Yeon-cha Gate, which began with Chairman Park's testimony, ultimately resulted in conflicting judgments," and that it "left a stain on the history of the righteous judiciary." However, the Grand National Party's Gangwon provincial chapter countered that the Democratic Party's attempt to politicize the case was problematic, citing a public opinion poll among Gangwon residents where 48.5% viewed the Supreme Court's ruling as "a legitimate judgment based on evidence."

Finally, Lee was involved in a case concerning political funds from **Jeil Savings Bank**. On April 23, 2015, the Supreme Court confirmed a fine of 5.00 M KRW and a forfeiture of 10.00 M KRW for violating the Political Funds Act. This was related to his reception of 10.00 M KRW from Yoo Dong-cheon, the former chairman of Jeil Savings Bank, in June 2010. While he was also accused of receiving another 10.00 M KRW in October-November 2009 and February-March 2011, the court maintained the original ruling, stating that the testimonies regarding the timing and location of these latter payments were inconsistent and insufficient for a guilty verdict.

8.3. Regional Remarks Controversy

On March 31, 2021, prior to the 2021 South Korean by-elections, Lee Kwang-jae sparked a significant controversy with remarks he made about specific regions during a Democratic Party central election committee meeting in Busan.

He stated, "Daegu has the weakest economy in Korea despite about 40 years under presidents like Park Chung Hee, Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Lee Myung-bak, and Park Geun-hye. Why? It's because they always vote based on their political parties, not the actual people." He further added, "They vote for politicians who are just busy to become candidates, not those who really work for people's livelihoods."

These comments drew strong criticism from the People Power Party (PPP), which accused him of "using an anti-patriotic regional card." Kwon Young-jin, the Mayor of Daegu, harshly condemned the remarks, stating, "Don't ever think to come here without any sincere apology." The controversy was seen as an attempt to exploit regional sentiment for electoral gain. The Democratic Party subsequently faced crushing defeats in the by-elections, losing both the Seoul and Busan mayorships to the PPP.

10.1. Books

• Dream of a Spring Water (2004)
• Lee Kwang-jae's Book Report: Books a politician Lee Kwang-jae finds too good to keep to himself (연장통, 2008)
• I Can't Dip My Feet Twice in a Same River (지혜로운 오늘을 위한 글모음: 이광재 독서록 2010) (연장통, 2010)
• Asking China: Superpower DNA of the 21st Century (학고재, 2012)
• Where Should Korea Go To? (2014)
• Roh Moo-hyun Was Correct (2020)

10.2. Film

• Our President (2017)

12.1. General elections

12.2. Local elections