Seoul: Lawyers for a close associate of former first lady Kim Keon Hee have claimed that their client, Lee Jong-ho, previously handed her 300 million won (US$203,400) in checks. This revelation was made as part of their effort to demonstrate Lee's cooperation with an ongoing investigation by special prosecutors.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the legal team of Lee Jong-ho, who is the former head of Blackpearl Invest, made this claim during the final arguments of Lee's trial. Lee is facing charges of accepting money in return for promising to use his connections to secure a lighter sentence for an individual involved in a separate case. The lawyers asserted that Lee had already disclosed the incident during earlier questioning by special counsel Min Joong-ki's team.

The special counsel has accused Lee of failing to cooperate with their investigation, alleging that he disposed of his phone and fabricated an alibi. They have called for a four-year prison sentence, a fine of 10 million won, and forfeiture of 83.9 million won, arguing that his actions severely undermined the integrity of the criminal justice system.

Lee Jong-ho is accused of receiving 83 million won from June 2022 to February 2023, in exchange for helping an individual receive a suspended sentence in a stock manipulation case involving a BMW dealer in South Korea. Lee reportedly boasted of his connections to Kim Keon Hee, her husband, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, and a judge, claiming that the defendant would face a harsher sentence if payment was not made.

Lee's defense team has called for the case to be dismissed, citing procedural flaws and arguing that it does not fall under the special counsel's mandate to investigate corruption allegations related to the former first lady. Lee's sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 13.