Refutation of allegations of vacant address company... Candidate So-young Lee's side "Contract for reporting consultant career and capabilities"

Refutation of allegations of vacant address company... “Consultant career/competency reporting contract”

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Se-rin = Lee So-young, a candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups, refuted on the 13th that it was a "legal and normal service contract" regarding the suspicion that she paid about 70 million won in legislative activity service fees to a consulting company whose address on the corporate register was vacant while she was a member of the 21st National Assembly.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups Ministerial Candidate Personnel Hearing Preparation Team issued explanatory materials on this day and stated, “The candidate signed a contract by reviewing the experience and capabilities of the individual consultant running the company, not the location of the company.”

According to the preparation team, the consultant has been performing side work, such as producing promotional materials for elections and legislative activities, since 2020, when candidate Lee was a first-term lawmaker.

The preparation team explained that candidate Lee received public relations advice necessary for legislative activities, such as analysis and investigation of the local district policy environment, from the relevant company from 2023 to 2025.

According to the preparation team, the contract period is September 2023 to March 2024 and July 2024 to April 2025.

The preparation team added, "The scope of work was described in detail in the contract, and payment was made normally for all work performed during the contract period, divided by the agreed period," adding, "Receipts were also issued in the usual manner."

He then claimed, “It is clearly false to report that there was an illegal act in a legal and normal service contract.”

On this day, Lee Jong-bae, former People Power Party Seoul City Council member, announced that he would report candidate Lee to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of violating the Political Fund Act.

Former city council member Lee argued, “If the service fee of approximately 70 million won was paid without actual services or was overpaid, and was used for purposes unrelated to political activities, there is a possibility of violating the political fund law.”

The company reportedly explained that it was unable to change the address on the corporate registration due to cost issues during the office relocation process.

The National Assembly personnel hearing for this candidate is scheduled to be held on the 15th.