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Prosecutors arrested Kim Yong, deputy director of the Institute for Democracy, who is a close aide to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, this morning (19th).

Yoo Dong-gyu, former head of the planning division of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, is accused of receiving hundreds of millions of won from private companies in Wirye development.



Correspondent Kim Kwan-jin reports.



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3rd division of the anti-corruption investigation of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office this morning executed an arrest warrant issued by the court against Kim Yong, vice president of the Institute for Democracy, on charges of violating the Political Fund Act.



In addition, the home of Vice-Chairman Kim was also seized and searched.



Deputy director Kim Dong-gyu is accused of receiving hundreds of millions of won in illegal funds from former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation's planning division head Dong-gyu Dong and Wirye development-related private companies.



Vice-Chairman Kim was a city council member in Seongnam City at the time of the Wirye New Town Development Project.



Vice-Chairman Kim, along with Jeong Jin-sang, head of the Political Affairs Coordination Office of the Democratic Party's representative office, is considered to be the closest aide to the Democratic Party's leader Lee Jae-myung.



When Lee served as the Gyeonggi governor, he served as the Gyeonggi spokesperson and aide.



In fact, when the suspicion of the Daejang-dong gate was raised in October of last year, CEO Lee said, "If it is an aide, it should be like Jeong Jin-sang and Kim Yong."



It was also revealed that two people on the phone with former general manager Yoo right before the search and seizure in September of last year were also deputy director Kim Yong and office manager Jeong Jin-sang.



Deputy Director Kim also appeared in a transcript submitted by accountant Jeong Young-hak, the owner of Cheonhwa-dongin No. 5 in the past.



Analysts say that as the prosecution arrested Deputy Director Kim, who is a close aide to Lee, an investigation into the people around him began in earnest.