Prosecutors and lawyers representing main opposition Democratic Party chairman Lee Jae-myung exchanged arguments in court on Friday over Lee's claim that he did not ​know a deceased former official of a municipal development firm involved in the Daejang-dong scandal.

In a hearing on Lee's trial on election law violation charges held at Seoul Central District Court, the prosecution refuted claims made by Lee’s legal representatives one after another.

They said that Lee played golf with Kim Moon-ki and also bestowed a citation on him, noting such shared experiences are certainly memorable.

Lee's lawyer said the defendant does not clearly remember with whom he played golf, and photos and videos of Lee and Kim taken together in Australia show they never make eye contact, which sheds light on their bare acquaintance.

Lee's charges stem from a televised interview in 2021 in which he denied being acquainted with Kim, the former head of Seongnam Development Corporation's project development team, during his term as Seongnam mayor.

Kim was found dead the day before he was set to appear for questioning in the Daejang-dong scandal investigation.