"Prosecutors' Opposition Political Terror... Must Not Follow Blindly"
Kim Hoe-jae "If Report Is True, Will Resign from Assembly"
Following the media disclosure of the list of lawmakers suspected of being involved in the Democratic Party of Korea's party convention money envelope scandal, the lawmakers in question collectively denied the allegations, calling them "baseless."
Lee Seong-man (left), identified as a key suspect in the 'money envelope incident,' and independent lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok appeared at the Seoul District Court on the 4th for a detention warrant hearing. Photo by Heo Young-han younghan@
Earlier, a media outlet reported on the 4th that during the pre-trial detention hearing of independent lawmakers Yoon Kwan-seok and Lee Seong-man, the prosecution justified the need for their detention by identifying and revealing 19 lawmakers suspected of receiving money envelopes. The outlet stated that the prosecution found that lawmakers Kim Young-ho, Min Byung-duk, Park Sung-joon, Park Young-soon, Baek Hye-ryun, Lee Seong-man, Lim Jong-sung, Jeon Yong-gi, Heo Jong-sik, and Hwang Un-ha each received one money envelope from Lawmaker Yoon. Another media outlet also reported on the 7th that the prosecution mentioned lawmakers Kim Hoe-jae, Kim Seung-nam, Kim Yoon-duk, Lee Yong-bin, and Kim Nam-guk as recipients of money envelopes at the National Assembly members' office building.
In response, the lawmakers named publicly issued statements denying the receipt of any money. Lawmaker Kim Seung-nam stated, "I clearly declare that I did not receive any money or valuables related to the 2021 party convention," adding, "The prosecution's plot to destroy the opposition party has gone too far. I will take all necessary measures, including legal action, regarding this matter."
Lawmaker Lee Yong-bin said, "The media reports related to the Democratic Party's party convention money envelope scandal are nothing but politically motivated terror acts that published hearsay without fact-checking," and added, "The media should not blindly follow the prosecution's political terror. We will hold those responsible for the article legally accountable."
Lawmaker Kim Hoe-jae also rebutted, saying, "I have never received a money envelope from Lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok or anyone else," and added, "If the reports are true, I will take responsibility and resign from my position as a member of the National Assembly." Lawmaker Hwang Un-ha stated on social media, "The disclosed list consists of lawmakers who attended the support meeting for candidate Song Young-gil, and it is routine for lawmakers to enter the National Assembly. Attending a meeting to support a party leader candidate is part of a lawmaker's political activities."
Meanwhile, Lawmaker Yoon was detained on the afternoon of the 4th in connection with this case. Judge Yoon Jae-nam, who is in charge of detention warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, issued a detention warrant after the pre-trial detention hearing, citing "concerns over evidence tampering." The detention warrant for independent Lawmaker Lee Seong-man, who was also subject to a detention request, was dismissed. Judge Yoo Chang-hoon, who presided over Lee's detention hearing, stated, "Considering the investigation so far, which has secured substantial evidence related to the charges, the suspect's involvement and degree of involvement, the suspect's status, and the court hearing results, it is difficult to see any concern over evidence tampering."
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