Park Ji-won "Song Young-gil Voluntarily Appearing? Different from Me"

Former National Intelligence Service Director, YTN Radio Interview
"Should Have Waited for Vote on Arrest Warrants for Yoon Gwansuk and Lee Seongman"

Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won diagnosed on the 9th that former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil's recent two attempts to voluntarily appear before the prosecution were because "his name keeps being mentioned, but no concrete investigation is conducted, and only his close associates are being harassed, so as a leader, he expressed his intention to the prosecution."

In an interview with YTN Radio's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' on the same day, former Director Park said, "I indirectly conveyed that I hoped he would not voluntarily appear, but former leader Song probably found it hard to endure as well."

Former Director Park analyzed, "Former leader Song returned from Paris because he was reported in the media and said, 'I will never run away,' 'Call me quickly,' and 'Don't harass those around me,' but issues about money envelopes keep coming up, and the prosecution only sends out trial balloons," adding, "It seems to be an intention to say, 'Investigate me, who is considered the main culprit.'"

Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil, who is under suspicion of money envelope allegations related to the party convention, is making a statement after leaving the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 7th without being questioned. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

He also thought it would have been better if former leader Song had not voluntarily appeared. He said, "On the 12th, a motion to arrest independent lawmakers Yoon Kwan-seok and Lee Sung-man will come to the National Assembly for a vote, so it would have been better to wait until then," but also explained, "He expressed his intention to appeal to the public that he has no relation to the charges against the two lawmakers."

Regarding the perspective comparing former leader Song's voluntary appearance with former Director Park's past case, he pointed out, "The cases of Park Ji-won and Song Young-gil are different." In July 2012, former Director Park, who had an arrest warrant requested in connection with the savings bank corruption case, voluntarily appeared at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office ahead of the vote on the motion to arrest.

Former Director Park explained, "I was notified to appear before the prosecution, but since I had no relation to the savings bank case, I refused to appear. Because I refused, the prosecution sent a motion to arrest to encourage my appearance, and when the court issued it and sent it to the National Assembly, I decided to go first and went."

He added, "Former leader Song has not even been summoned by the prosecution yet and there has been no action, so it is different from my case."