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A political stunt to shun legal responsibility

Published: 02 May. 2023, 20:25

In a strange turn of events, Song Young-gil — former leader of the Democratic Party (DP) and a suspect for handing cash envelopes to party members ahead of its national convention in 2021 to elect a new leader of the opposition party — voluntarily appeared before the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office on Tuesday even though the prosecution did not summon him for investigation. As the prosecution said, it did not investigate him. Song had to return home 10 minutes after his request for meeting with prosecutors dealing with the case was denied.

Prosecutors are required to first analyze pieces of evidence they seized and meet with parties involved in the bribery case before summoning the former leader of the party. Song, a lawyer himself, should know better. But he seemed to be more interested in the press conference he staged in front of the prosecution office. After his request for meeting with prosecutors was denied, he read a prepared text containing his position on the scandal before a group of reporters covering the case. If that is not a political stunt, what is?

In the press conference, Song pleaded with the prosecution to arrest him “instead of tormenting others.” But he steadfastly denied his legal responsibility or avoided taking it. The prosecution singled him out as an accomplice, but he said he might not know about the cash handouts. “I will fight allegations against me in a court battle,” he said. He also attacked the prosecution for launching “a politically motivated investigation.” With a long court battle in his mind, Song was bent on taking political responsibility only.

He also distanced himself from the allegation that he had attempted to fund the scheme through a think tank under his control. But an accountant from the think tank met Song in Paris last month after suspicion about his involvement in the bribery case arose. The prosecution has discovered signs of destruction of evidence when it raided the office of the think tank. What Song must do now is to cooperate with the prosecution’s investigation, not attacking the law enforcement authority for “an investigation with political intention.”

Political experts think that Song volunteered to appear before the prosecution to avoid a detention. Even DP insiders linked it to the need for him to preempt a court-issued arrest warrant. In the press conference Tuesday, Song incited his supporters by criticizing the prosecution for its “methodical investigations on former president Roh Moo-hyun and former justice minister Cho Kuk.” Many of his supporters cheered for him. We hope the DP leadership will not choose to sit on its hands. The prosecution must get to the bottom of the case fast.