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Home, office of former DP lawmakers raided over bribery allegations

Published: 12 Apr. 2023, 20:23 Updated: 13 Apr. 2023, 00:13

Office of Democratic Party lawmaker Youn Kwan-suk in Yeouido raided by prosecutors on Wednesday. ][YONHAP]

Prosecutors raided 20 places including the office and home of Democratic Party lawmaker Youn Kwan-suk on Wednesday in relation to bribery allegations connected to a former deputy secretary general of his party.

Youn is accused of playing a key role in a bribery case related to the party’s convention in 2021 that elected Song Young-gil as the head of the party.

Youn was working in Song’s election campaign at the time.

The accusation reportedly was based on a recorded conversation that the prosecutors’ office obtained from the DP's former deputy secretary general, Lee Jung-geun,has been detained since last September on allegations of taking 1 billion won in bribes.

The court on Wednesday sentenced Lee to four years and six month in prison for violating the political fund act. This is higher than the three years proposed by the prosecutors' office.She also has to pay 980 million won as penalty.

Kang Rae-koo, Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-water) auditor and the head of the Institute of Internal Auditors Korea, is accused of telling the deputy secretary general ahead of the party’s convention to deliver an envelope containing money to Youn.

The money is reported of being used in bribing other members of the party to help Song win the DP chairmanship.

Lee was also working in Song's election campaign.

After Song became DP chair, Youn was named as the party's secretary general and Lee was appointed as the party's deputy scretary general.

Kang has deep ties to the DP as he worked for President Moon's presidential campaign and headed the DP’s non-parliamentary regional committee council.

Democratic Party lawmaker Youn Kwan-suk. [YONHAP]

Youn on Wednesday released a statement claiming he's being framed by prosecutors and that the allegations are a political hit job.

“I absolutely have nothing to do with an alleged envelope full of money during the convention involving Deputy Secretary General Lee Jung-geun,” he said.

He also said he has received no prior requests for a preliminary investigation from the prosecutors’ office or seen any tangible evidence against him.

Youn said the prosecution's investigation relies entirely on hearsay, and that its main purpose is to suppress the opposition party.

“I will fight with the political prosecutors until the end and prove my innocence,” Youn stated.

The prosecutor's office also raided the office and home of another DP representative Lee Sung-man on the same allegations.

There is concern that the general investigation into the former DP deputy secretary is spreading to other DP lawmakers.

Deputy Secretary General Lee is known to be a close aide to Song, the former DP chair. She also served on Moon’s presidential election campaign in 2017 as well as Lee Jae-myung’s campaign in 2021.

The prosecutors’ office is reported to have secured over 30,000 files of recorded conversations as well as memos mentioning DP politicians and several top government officials during the Moon Jae-in government.

Former DP :deputy scretary general Lee Jung-geun. Lee has been detained since September 2022 on bribery allegations. [YONAHP]

The deputy secretary general took nearly 1 billion won in bribes from a businessman Park Woo-sik since December 2019 in return for using her influence and connections with high profile politicians to grant favors.

Park owned an industrial waste management company based in Busan.

Among the names, DP Rep. Noh Woong-rae is facing trial for allegedly pocketing 60 million won from Park, who was introduced through Lee in 2020.

While prosecutors sought an arrest warrant against Noh, the DP voted against it.

By law, all members of the National Assembly are protected from being arrested when parliament is in session.

A sitting lawmaker can only be sent to a judge, who will review the arrest warrant, with the approval of the National Assembly.

Noh argued that he was being framed and that prosecutors were committing a political hit against him and his party.

He also denied that he knows the businessman.

Lee allegedly helped Park meet an official at the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regarding mask supplies, contacting then-head of the agency Ryu Joung-jin to set up the meeting.

Moon’s chief of staff Noh Young-min is also accused of using his power in the Blue House to help Lee land a high-paying job at a CJ affiliate between 2020 and 2021 as a full-time advisor, despite having no experience or understanding in the field.

She also allegedly asked the businessman to pay her roughly 50 million won to lobby then-Minister of Startups and SME Park Young-sun to help him acquire an SME investment company.

The accused deny all the allegations against them.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]