Prosecutors Summon Former Lawmaker Park Young-soon Over Alleged Money Envelope Bribery in Democratic Party

The prosecution summoned former National Assembly member Park Young-soon, who is accused of receiving an envelope of money from the campaign team of Song Young-gil, then a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's party leader, ahead of the party's convention.

Former Park Young-soon, Democratic Party of Korea member. [Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the legal community on the 31st, the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Jae-hoon) summoned former lawmaker Park as a suspect on charges of violating the Political Parties Act and is currently investigating him.

Park is accused of receiving an envelope containing 3 million won from former lawmaker Yoon Kwan-seok at a meeting of lawmakers supporting former leader Song held on April 28, 2021, in the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's small conference room in the National Assembly main building.

The prosecution believes that at the meeting, 10 lawmakers including Park received envelopes containing 3 million won along with a request to recruit local delegates. Among the 10, three lawmakers?former Lee Seong-man, former Lim Jong-seong, and Heo Jong-sik?have already been indicted and are undergoing first trial proceedings. Since April, before the general election, the prosecution has sent summons requests to Park four times to coordinate the investigation schedule.

The prosecution plans to conduct face-to-face investigations with the remaining six lawmakers who attended the meeting and then decide whether to indict them. It is reported that they have not responded to the prosecution's summons, citing reasons such as being busy with legislative activities.

The prosecution is also considering taking compulsory investigative measures if these six continue to refuse to appear. However, since all six are incumbent lawmakers with immunity from arrest during the National Assembly session, it is expected to be difficult to forcibly secure their custody. To arrest or detain a lawmaker during a session, a motion for arrest must be passed with a majority of the total members present and a majority of the members present voting in favor in the National Assembly.