SUWON, South Korea – The Suwon High Court has affirmed the conviction of a former aide to the wife of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, in a case involving the misuse of corporate credit cards issued by the Gyeonggi provincial government.
According to Yonhap News Agency, The appeals court confirmed the lower court’s decision to sentence the suspect, identified only by the surname Bae, to a 10-month prison term, suspended for two years. Bae was found guilty of election law violations for improperly using the government’s corporate cards in 2021. Serving as a Grade 5 official in the Gyeonggi province from July 2018 to September 2021, during Lee’s tenure as governor, Bae is believed to have acted as a protocol secretary for Lee’s wife, Kim Hye-kyung. The charges include spending 104,000 won (approximately US$78) on meals with political figures, which is prohibited under election law, in addition to allegations of making false claims about private duties for the Lee family and obtaining prescription drugs for Kim. Bae is also under investigation for suspected personal use of government funds through corporate card purchases for Kim.