After Detention Warrant Hearing, What Will Happen to Myung Taekyun and Kim Youngsun Transferred to Prison?

The pre-arrest detention hearings (warrant substantive examinations) for Myung Tae-gyun, a key figure suspected of interfering in Kim Geon-hee's nomination, and former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun have concluded.

Judge Jung Ji-eun, in charge of warrants at Changwon District Court in Gyeongnam, conducted the detention warrant hearings for Myung, who is accused of violating the Political Funds Act, and former lawmaker Kim on the afternoon of the 14th, starting around 2 p.m.

Warrant hearings were also held for Mr. A, a preliminary candidate for Goryeong County governor in North Gyeongsang Province during the nationwide local elections on June 1, 2022, and Mr. B, a preliminary candidate for Daegu City Council.

Myeong Taegyun (left), who is suspected of violating the Political Funds Act including allegations of interference in candidate selection, and former lawmaker Kim Youngseon appeared for a pre-arrest interrogation. Photo by Lee Seryeong

Myung and former lawmaker Kim are accused of exchanging approximately 76 million won from August 2022 to November 2023 in return for recommending Kim as a candidate for the National Assembly election.

Mr. A and Mr. B are suspected of handing over about 240 million won to the Mirae Korea Research Institute multiple times ahead of the local elections.

The prosecution believes that they gave the money expecting Myung, who claimed close ties with Kim Geon-hee, to assist with the nomination.

Around 6:15 p.m. that day, former lawmaker Kim, who finished the hearing first, briefly responded to reporters' questions by saying, "I have spoken sufficiently," before boarding a transport vehicle and being taken to Changwon Prison.

Before entering the court, former lawmaker Kim denied the charges, stating, "Just because the knife used in the murder was mine does not mean I stabbed anyone; just because I got off the same bus as the murderer does not make me a murderer. I think this is a political and media-driven detention warrant."

At around 7:48 p.m., Myung, who finished the hearing later, boarded the transport vehicle without responding to reporters' questions such as "What parts did you mainly clarify?" or "How much did you receive from Kim Geon-hee?" just as he did when entering.

During a previous prosecution summons, Myung claimed, "I only got back the money I lent; I did not receive a single penny otherwise."

Former lawmaker Kim also maintains that he never asked Myung for a nomination and that the money repaid was borrowed by former accounting officer Kang Hye-kyung from Myung's side during the election.

The decision on whether to detain them is expected to be made late at night or early the next morning.