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Investigations into incumbent lawmakers suspected of accepting cash envelopes in connection with the Democratic Party of Korea's party convention are showing signs of prolonged delays. This is because the lawmakers under investigation have refused to comply with the prosecution's summons, entering a 'holding strategy.'

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 9th, insiders from the prosecution expressed skepticism that the investigation into the 20 incumbent lawmakers suspected of receiving cash envelopes would be completed before the general election in April.

The prosecution, finding it difficult to verify the facts of the allegations through written inquiries, sent summonses to the lawmakers suspected of accepting bribes who have not yet been investigated, but the lawmakers have not responded to the summons.

First, the prosecution has registered seven of the ten lawmakers who attended the support meeting for former leader Song Young-gil in April 2021, ahead of the party convention, as suspects, excluding independent lawmaker Lee Seong-man (investigated and indicted without detention), and lawmakers Lim Jong-seong and Heo Jong-sik, who have already been investigated.

The prosecution urged the lawmakers to cooperate with the investigation, stating that they are effectively demanding special privileges. A representative from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said, "Refusing to comply with the prosecution's legitimate summons without a valid reason is tantamount to demanding special privileges. Since this case is a serious crime that undermines trust in party democracy, lawmakers should cooperate to clarify the matter in order to restore public trust as members of the National Assembly."

The problem is that if the lawmakers continue to refuse to cooperate with the investigation, there is no effective way to force the investigation. Considering the imminent general election and the parliamentary immunity from arrest during sessions, it is widely believed that the prosecution will find it difficult to request arrest warrants before the election.

If the prosecution takes an extreme step such as forcibly requesting arrest warrants, it will likely face political attacks from opposition parties accusing it of interfering in the general election under the pretext of investigation. Therefore, it is expected that summons investigations into lawmakers suspected of accepting cash envelopes will intensify only after the general election.

However, even if the full-scale investigation proceeds after the general election, some lawmakers suspected of accepting cash envelopes who are elected in this election may again delay the investigation by citing parliamentary schedules and other reasons. Therefore, there is a view that the prosecution should not merely wait for cooperation but should apply strong pressure using powerful measures available within the criminal justice process.

A former chief prosecutor turned lawyer with experience investigating politicians, Lawyer A, said, "There have been cases where summons schedules were repeatedly adjusted using excuses such as parliamentary or constituency schedules, wasting time. Regarding the cash envelope investigation, the prosecution needs to push strongly based on the criminal facts recognized by the court."