Police Summons Former Seoul Council Chairman Yang Junwook over Alleged Nomination Lobbying by Kim Kyung

2023 By-election for Gangseo District Mayor in Seoul
Mentioned in "Golden PC" recordings...Police probing circumstances of phone calls

Police investigating allegations of lobbying by former Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung in the 2023 by-election for Gangseo District Mayor in Seoul have summoned former Seoul Metropolitan Council Chairman Yang Junwook and others as suspects.

The Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency confirmed that on the afternoon of the 11th it summoned Yang, the former chairman, and Choi Yongkyu, policy chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea, as suspects on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and was questioning them.

Yang Junwook, former chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council. The Asia Business Daily DB

In connection with allegations that ahead of the October 2023 by-election for Gangseo District Mayor in Seoul, former council member Kim provided money and valuables to incumbent Democratic Party lawmakers in exchange for nominations, police have been successively summoning Democratic Party figures. Yang, the former chairman, was mentioned as a recipient of money in an audio recording stored on the computer of Kim’s former policy aide, which has been dubbed the "Golden PC." Police had earlier conducted searches and seizures at Yang’s residence and other locations on the 24th of last month.

Among the recordings on the Golden PC is also a record of a phone call between former council member Kim and Mr. B, who was then the policy chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Chapter of the Democratic Party of Korea. Police are questioning former chairman Yang and policy chief Choi about what led to their phone calls with former council member Kim at the time and the surrounding circumstances.

Former council member Kim is also under police investigation on suspicion of having delivered a 100 million won bribe in June 2022 to then-Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Sunwoo, in anticipation of securing the Democratic Party nomination for Seoul Metropolitan Council member in the local elections.