Former Lawmaker Kim Young-sun on the Brink of Detention: "Just Because It's My Knife, Does That Mean I Stabbed?"

Former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun, who is accused of violating the Political Funds Act over allegations including Kim Geon-hee's interference in candidate nominations and quid pro quo money transactions, appeared on the afternoon of the 14th at the Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam for a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant review).

Kim is suspected of exchanging about 90 million won with Myung Tae-kyun, known as the de facto operator of the Mirae Korea Research Institute, from August 2022 to November 2023 as payment for candidate nominations.

Former lawmaker Kim Young-sun is heading to the Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam to undergo a pre-arrest detention hearing. Photo by Lee Se-ryeong

He stated that the prosecution's request for an arrest warrant was unjustified.

Kim said, "If someone committed a murder and the knife is said to be mine, then it must be clarified whether I gave that knife or gave it to be used in the crime." He added, "Requesting an arrest warrant without such clarification makes it difficult to confirm or explain the facts required for detention."

He also said, "Just because someone got off the same bus I was on, does that mean I was killed by a person who was on the same bus?" and "I think the media is shaking the prosecution, resulting in a politically motivated arrest warrant."

Judge Jeong Ji-eun, in charge of warrants at the Changwon District Court, conducted the warrant review starting around 2 p.m. that day.