Prosecutors Seek Arrest Warrants for Kang Seonwoo and Kim Kyung over 100 Million Won Nomination Bribe

Parliamentary Immunity a Key Variable... Prosecution Says "Serious Offense, Risk of Flight and Destruction of Evidence"

Ahead of the 2022 local elections, independent lawmaker Kang Sunwoo, who is accused of receiving 100 million won that Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung handed over as payment for a nomination through former secretary-general Nam Mo, appeared at the Public Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd and answered reporters' questions. Yonhap News

Prosecutors have moved to secure the custody of independent lawmaker Kang Seonwoo and former Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung, who are suspected of involvement in illicit nomination funds.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office announced on the 9th that it had requested arrest warrants from the Seoul Central District Court for lawmaker Kang and former council member Kim on charges including violations of the Political Funds Act and breach of trust and bribery.

The prosecution stated, "After closely reviewing the collected evidence, we determined that the offenses are serious, and in light of the risk of flight and the possibility of destruction of evidence, we requested arrest warrants."

Lawmaker Kang and former council member Kim are suspected of exchanging 100 million won in January 2022 at a hotel in Yongsan, ahead of the local elections, in return for a party nomination. At the time, Kang, who was serving on the Democratic Party of Korea’s nomination committee, was found to have strongly argued that former council member Kim should be nominated as the sole candidate for Seoul Metropolitan Council in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, leading to Kim receiving an uncontested nomination.

Unlike former council member Kim, who admitted to the charges during the police investigation, lawmaker Kang has denied the allegations, claiming that "I received a shopping bag, but I did not know it contained money."

This investigation began late last year after a recording of a conversation between lawmaker Kang and lawmaker Kim Byungki was released, in which Kang was heard saying, in effect, that because she had received 100 million won from former council member Kim, he should be given the nomination.

Although this is the first attempt to secure the custody of the main suspects in this case, lawmaker Kang’s parliamentary immunity from arrest is expected to be a key variable.

Because incumbent members of the National Assembly cannot be arrested or detained during a parliamentary session without the consent of the National Assembly, for Kang’s substantive warrant hearing to proceed, a motion to consent to her arrest must be approved at a plenary session by a majority of all members being present and a majority of those present voting in favor.