The prosecution has dismissed claims by the main opposition Democratic Party(DP) that prosecutors had intentionally summoned Kim Hye-kyung, the wife of DP chair Lee Jae-myung, before the Chuseok holidays. 

The Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office said in a statement sent to the press on Thursday that Kim had refused the prosecution’s offer to hold written investigations and had appeared for questioning earlier in the day after personally choosing the date. 

The office said it had offered Kim’s lawyers to hold written investigations on August 26 to avoid further delays but Kim’s lawyer turned down the offer and conveyed Kim’s intent to appear for questioning on Thursday. 

The prosecution’s statement comes hours after DP senior spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae said in a written briefing that prosecutors are aiming to make an issue of not only the DP chair but also his spouse ahead of the Chuseok holidays. 

Jo claimed that the Yoon Suk Yeol government has continuously sought to make an issue of Lee before every Chuseok holiday since it came to power.