The prosecution filed arrest warrants on the 11th for Myung Taekyun, a key figure in the allegations of 'interference in candidate selection' and 'illegal opinion polls,' and former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Youngsun.
They also filed arrest warrants for two former preliminary candidates suspected of paying Myung for local election nomination favors.
On the 11th, the Criminal Division 4 of Changwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Hokyung) announced that it had filed arrest warrants for four individuals, including former lawmaker Kim, Myung, who was the former general director of Kim's regional office, preliminary candidate A for the 8th simultaneous local election for Goryeong County governor, and preliminary candidate B for the 8th simultaneous local election for Daegu City council, on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.
Myung is accused of receiving political funds in connection with recommending a specific person as a candidate in public elections, while Kim and the other three are accused of donating political funds.
In December last year, the Gyeongnam Provincial Election Commission reported Kang Hyekyung, who was Kim's accounting manager, to the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office for violating the Political Funds Act and requested an investigation into five people, including Myung and Kim, related to political fund expenditures.
After Kim was elected in the Gyeongnam Changwon Chang district in the June 1, 2022, by-election, he sent a total of 90,316,000 won to Myung through Kang 25 times between August 23, 2022, and December 28, 2023. Kim and Myung claim that the money was repayment of loans taken during the election or personal debts between Kang and Myung, but the prosecution suspects that Myung received the money as a reward for securing Kim's nomination. Kang claims that Myung, who helped President Yoon Seok-yeol through opinion polls during the presidential election, received the reward for helping Kim's nomination through Kim Geonhee.
Myung is also accused of receiving 240 million won from A and B, who were preliminary candidates for People Power Party basic local government heads and metropolitan councilors, respectively, ahead of the June 1, 2022, local elections, using nominations as bait. He is also accused of instructing A and B to pay part of the costs of 81 opinion polls conducted by the Future Korea Research Institute during the last presidential election.
A and B are accused of handing over about 240 million won to the Future Korea Research Institute several times ahead of the June 1 local elections (violation of the Political Funds Act).
Although the two handed over about 240 million won to the Future Korea Research Institute, which is known to be effectively operated by Myung, they did not actually receive nominations and are reported to have later received some of the money back.
The prosecution investigating this case recently secured a statement from A, a former preliminary candidate, admitting to handing over money in exchange for nominations.
The prosecution, which expanded the investigation team to 11 prosecutors by dispatching six prosecutors twice, summoned and investigated former lawmaker Kim on the 3rd and 4th consecutively, then summoned Kang on the 6th for the eighth investigation. They also summoned Myung for two days on the 8th and 9th for questioning.
Whether the prosecution succeeds in securing Myung's custody is expected to be a crucial turning point that will determine the success or failure of the prosecution's investigation into these allegations.
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