Song Young-gil to Voluntarily Appear Tomorrow for Second Time... "Solo Protest if Meeting Fails"

On the 2nd of last month, Song Young-gil, the former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea and the key suspect in the 2021 party convention money envelope scandal, voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and made a statement. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Song Young-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea who is at the center of the 'money envelope distribution' allegations during the Democratic Party's leadership election, will attempt to voluntarily appear before the prosecution for the second time on the 7th. Song stated that if a meeting with the prosecution fails, he plans to hold a press conference and conduct a solo protest.

On the 6th, Song's lawyer said, "Song will voluntarily appear at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at 9:30 a.m. on the 7th to attempt a meeting, and if it fails, he plans to hold an impromptu press conference and solo protest."

After the recording file of Lee Jeong-geun, former deputy secretary-general of the Democratic Party, which contains evidence of money envelope distribution, was released and a full-scale investigation began, Song attempted to voluntarily appear on the 2nd of last month, saying, "Don't harass the people around me, arrest me first," but it was unsuccessful.

This marks his second attempt to voluntarily appear in just over a month.

However, the prosecution has stated that even if Song appears unilaterally without prior coordination of the schedule, they will not proceed with the investigation.

A prosecution official said, "There has been no agreement on the investigation schedule with (Song)," and added, "We are investigating the related allegations sequentially."

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-cheol) of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating the Democratic Party's money envelope allegations, sent investigators to the National Assembly Secretariat the previous morning to execute search warrants on the entry records of 29 lawmakers who had connections with Song's campaign during the 2021 Democratic Party leadership election at the National Assembly Main Building and the Members' Office Building.

Among the lawmakers whose entry records were subject to the search warrant were Song Young-gil and independent lawmakers Yoon Kwan-seok and Lee Seong-man, who have had arrest warrants requested.

Based on the conversation in the recording file of former Deputy Secretary-General Lee and the testimonies of related parties investigated so far, the prosecution is investigating on the suspicion that on April 28-29, 2021, just before the leadership election, Lawmaker Yoon delivered money envelopes containing 3 million won each to up to 20 incumbent lawmakers in the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's small conference room in the National Assembly Main Building and the Members' Office Building.