2023-12-18 00:12:14
Song Young-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appears at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 8th to be summoned by the prosecution and answers questions from reporters./News 1
The arrest warrant review of former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil will be held at the Seoul Central District Court at 10 a.m. on the 18th. Former Representative Song was issued a warrant for the ‘2021 Democratic National Convention money envelope incident’. The decision on whether or not he will be arrested is expected to be announced on the night of the 18th or the morning of the 19th.
Former Representative Song is suspected of being involved in the process of delivering a total of 66.5 million won, including 20 envelopes containing about 3 million won, to Democratic Party National Assembly members and regional headquarters heads in March and April 2021, ahead of the Democratic Party National Convention. There is also a charge of receiving 50 million won from Mr. Kim, an entrepreneur who was designated as a sponsor, in order to secure the necessary funds.
In addition, there are charges of receiving a total of 763 million won in illegal political funds from 7 people from 2020 to 2021 through former Representative Song’s external support organization, Muksayeon (Research Institute for Peace and Eating and Living Issues). The prosecution claims that illegal political funds include a 40 million won bribe received in exchange for ‘licensing and licensing of incineration treatment facilities.’
Former CEO Song strongly denies all charges. They say they have no knowledge of the national convention money envelope incident, and that the money delivered to the food association was a voluntary donation.
In addition to the seriousness of the charges against former CEO Song, the prosecution is insisting on his detention due to concerns about destruction of evidence. It is said that the fact that former CEO Song destroyed the cell phone he was using as the prosecution investigation progressed and that he contacted people involved in the case constituted destruction of evidence.
Former CEO Song’s arrest warrant review will be handled by Chief Judge Yoo Chang-hoon. Chief Judge Yoo was also in charge of the warrant review for Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.
Former Representative Song Young-gil and Representative Lee Jae-myung while campaigning for local elections and National Assembly by-elections in May last year. Former Representative Song ran for mayor of Seoul at the time, and Representative Jae-myung Lee ran for Gyeyang, Incheon, in the by-election for the National Assembly seat. Former Representative Song was defeated, and Representative Lee was elected./News 1
Whether or not former Representative Song is arrested is expected to have a significant impact on the investigation into the Democratic Party’s money envelope incident and the Democratic Party’s general election nomination process.
In the Democratic Party, Rep. Yoon Kwan-seok, who is accused of being directly involved in delivering the money envelopes, has been arrested, indicted, and is on trial, but all of the lawmakers who are pointed out or known to have received the money envelopes are adamantly denying the charges. All of them are preparing to run for general elections next year.
A lawmaker whose name is on the so-called ‘money envelope list’ said in a phone call, “The money envelope incident has no substance,” and “It is impossible for someone to be disadvantaged in a general election nomination just because their name is on the list unilaterally leaked by the prosecution.” He said. However, if former representative Song is arrested, the Democratic Party will suffer a major blow to its morality due to the ‘imprisonment of the former representative.’ A party official said, “Ever since the money envelope incident first came to light, there has been criticism that the party is responding lukewarmly,” and added, “If former leader Song is arrested, Representative Lee Jae-myung will also be pressured to take any additional action.”
Conversely, if the warrant is dismissed, the voices of the Democratic Party, which has defined the prosecution’s investigation as a ‘political investigation’ and ‘an investigation to kill the opposition party’, may gain strength. A member of the Democratic Party said, “If former Representative Song is also dismissed following the dismissal of Representative Lee Jae-Myung’s warrant, the prosecution will have to take responsibility for the unreasonable investigation into former and current opposition party leaders.”
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