Regarding Claims of Whereabouts Being Unknown:
"You Met Me at the Assembly Building Bathhouse Last Week, So What Are You Talking About?"
On August 12, Kwon Seongdong, a member of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, refuted a media report that alleged he visited a golf course owned by the Unification Church in Gangwon Province, a story referred to as the so-called "masked golf" incident. He stated, "The report is malicious, distorting the facts as if I did not pay for anything. This is completely untrue." On his social media account that day, Kwon remarked, "Claiming that I received 350,000 won in hospitality, including a 20,000 won meal, is nothing short of a comedy."
Kwon continued, "This event was a long-scheduled private social gathering, and the facility in question is a public venue frequented by many regular guests. The fact that the media brought a hidden camera to such a place only demonstrates how open it is. What kind of wrongdoing could possibly occur here?" Addressing suspicions about covering his face, Kwon explained, "Wearing a mask and sunglasses is not unusual, especially considering the recent weather," and pointed out, "Even they themselves admit that this is not out of the ordinary, so excessively highlighting it is simply unreasonable." He further criticized, "Pardons for Cho Kuk and Yoon Meehyang, confusion over the tax reform bill, and even insider trading allegations-while I understand the intent to distract from these accumulated negative issues with political attacks, it is a grave mistake to think such shallow tactics can deceive the public."
Regarding claims of his whereabouts being unknown, he said, "You met me at the Assembly building bathhouse last week, so what are you talking about?"
In response to the Democratic Party's use of the phrase "whereabouts unknown" after the report, Kwon stated, "You met me at the Assembly building bathhouse all last week, so what nonsense is this?" He added, "I will respond firmly to the media's repeated illegal actions, including taking civil and criminal measures, and I will take the same action against media outlets that act as amplifiers for malicious YouTubers."
Previously, Kwon had been suspected of receiving illegal political funds from the Unification Church in 2022. On August 6, it was reported that a former high-ranking official of the Unification Church, who was arrested on charges including providing illegal political funds to Kwon in February and March 2022, testified to Special Prosecutor Min Jungki's team, which is investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keonhee, stating that "Unification Church President Han Hakja delivered a shopping bag containing cash to Kwon." The special prosecutor's team is reportedly investigating under the suspicion that the shopping bag contained cash intended as campaign funds for the presidential election.
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