Lee Hwa-young's parole request sparks political controversy

Lee Hwa-young, the former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor serving a sentence for the ‘Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case,’ has become the center of political controversy following a public request for parole by his lawyer, Kim Kwang-min.

On October 7, attorney Kim stated that Lee was “very angry at President Lee Jae-myung” and felt neglected. However, Lee Hwa-young issued a handwritten statement on October 8 to clarify his position, stating that the lawyer’s comments did not accurately reflect his true intentions. Lee expressed frustration regarding the lack of progress in investigating alleged prosecutorial manipulation in the case rather than personal grievances against the President.

Members of the Democratic Party of Korea have distanced themselves from the parole request. Party officials noted that Lee does not yet meet the legal requirements for parole and suggested that using political pressure to seek release could actually make a future pardon more difficult. Some lawmakers characterized the lawyer’s attempt to use public opinion as an improper legal method, while others emphasized that any claims of prosecutorial misconduct must first be verified through formal legal procedures such as a retrial.