Kim Woong "Accusation of Soliciting Prosecution is an Old Matter, No Memory Due to Being Preoccupied Before the General Election"

"If Involved in Instigating the Complaint, It Would Have Been Filed"
"There Is No Substance at All"

Kim Woong, Member of the People Power Party [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Regarding the suspicion of 'accusation solicitation' that former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol requested the People Power Party to accuse Yoo Si-min, chairman of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, and Choi Kang-wook, leader of the Open Democratic Party, People Power Party lawmaker Kim Woong explained that "there is no substance at all."

On the 6th, Kim's office stated in a press release, "As I mentioned in the previous statement, I have forwarded most of the tips and materials that came to me to the party," adding, "However, there is no way to verify whether I actually received the accusation documents in question, from whom I received them, or if I did, whether I forwarded them to the party."

He said, "It was a long time ago, so I don't remember, and even if I assume I received them, considering the report states that the general election was imminent, I judged it would have been difficult to pay attention to it," and added, "If the documents were prepared by the prosecution, it is up to the prosecution to disclose them, and whether the materials are truthful and the purpose of the tip-off should be clarified by the tip-off provider."

According to some media reports, Son Jun-sung, a close aide of former Prosecutor General Yoon, reportedly handed accusation documents to lawmaker Kim, who was a candidate for the United Future Party in last year's general election, requesting the opposition party to accuse Chairman Yoo and others. Because of this, Kim has been considered a key figure in uncovering the truth behind the accusation solicitation suspicion. However, Kim has so far maintained that he "does not remember" and has avoided media contact.

He continued, "If I had been involved in the so-called 'accusation solicitation,' I would have requested the accusation or actually proceeded with it," and stated, "I have never raised this issue, and no accusation has actually been made."

Regarding the disappearance of the chat window, he explained, "It is a routine matter to protect the identity of the tip-off provider, regardless of legality."

Furthermore, he expressed the position that even if the tip-off materials were forwarded, that alone is not illegal. Kim said, "Even if I forwarded the tip-off materials to the party, simply forwarding them to the party, regardless of the tip-off provider's intention, is not an illegal act."

In addition, concerning media reports that he had gone into hiding, he requested, "Please refrain from excessive expressions," and stated, "I have not gone into hiding and am living a normal life."