S. Korea opposition leader dismisses corruption probe as political attack

Jan. 28 (UPI) -- South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung on Saturday criticized the country's ruling party as a "dictatorial regime" after being forced by prosecutors to answer questions over corruption allegations.

Lee appeared with his lawyer on Saturday to answer questions about his alleged role in a property development project.

"This is the moment when the rule of the law is ignored and constitutional order is disrupted by the dictatorial regime of Yoon and prosecutors," Lee told reporters as he entered the prosecutor's office. "This is the worst scene, in which the dictatorial regime privatizes the state authority in order to eliminate a political opponent."

Saturday's questioning lasted for 12 hours.

The case itself dates back to when Lee was the mayor of Seongnam, the fourth-largest city in the country's Gyeonggi Province. He is accused of ensuring a small private asset management company was awarded construction contracts resulting in $329 million worth of profits rather than accepting a lower bid.

The 58-year-old leader of South Korea's Democratic Party was also questioned earlier this month in an unrelated corruption investigation.

He has insisted the investigations are politically motivated after the country's new president Moon Suk Yeol, a former prosecutor, was sworn into office last May. Moon defeated Lee while campaigning on a platform of cracking down on political corruption.