Another lawmaker questioned over cash-for-votes

Rep. Youn Kwan-suk attends a meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on May 3. [YONHAP]

Prosecutors on Monday questioned a second lawmaker who is under suspicion of being involved in a cash-for-votes scandal that has engulfed the liberal Democratic Party (DP).

Rep. Youn Kwan-suk, a now-independent lawmaker who represents Incheon’s Namdong B constituency, was questioned by prosecutors in their investigation into accusations that allies of former DP leader Song Young-gil distributed bribes to party members and lawmakers to support his successful party leadership bid ahead of the DP’s national convention in May 2021.

Prosecutors suspect that Song’s aides distributed envelopes of cash totaling 94 million won ($70,475) to party members, including up to 20 lawmakers, to shore up support for his candidacy.

Youn is suspected by prosecutors of having helped distribute some 60 million won to other DP lawmakers before the convention by divvying up the amount into envelopes containing 3 million won each.

He left the DP in early May alongside fellow lawmaker Lee Sung-man, who was also questioned by prosecutors on Friday.

Lee is accused of being involved in distributing 9 million won to the chiefs of the Song campaign’s regional chapters.

Both Youn and Lee have denied the allegations, claiming that the prosecution has fabricated the accusations to tarnish the DP’s image.

According to a source cited by local media, the prosecution is mulling pursuing arrest warrants for both lawmakers — a move that is fraught with legal and political obstacles.

A majority of sitting lawmakers in the National Assembly must consent to the two lawmakers’ arrest before their warrants can be requested from a court.

Although both Youn and Lee are no longer members of the DP, some lawmakers from the party would have to agree to their arrest, given the DP’s majority of 169 lawmakers in the 300-seat legislature.

The prosecution requested the legislature’s consent to arrest DP leader Lee Jae-myung in February and four-term DP lawmaker Noh Woong-rae in December, but both requests were denied.

Lee is under indictment on charges of corruption, breach of trust and bribery for his alleged role in two development projects launched during his 2010-2018 tenure as mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi, while Noh is accused of accepting some 60 million won in illegal funds from a businessman around the time of the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The National Assembly did approve a motion in March allowing prosecutors to arrest Rep. Ha Young-je, a lawmaker from the conservative People's Power Party (PPP) who is accused of receiving a 70 million won illegal political contribution from a South Gyeongsang provincial council candidate before local government elections held in June last year.

The arrest of a sitting lawmaker has required parliamentary consent for 75 years.

A total of 66 motions for the arrest of a sitting lawmaker have been considered by the National Assembly since 1948 when Korea’s first constitution was promulgated.

Only 16 have been approved by the legislature, with 17 being rejected and 33 being withdrawn or expired.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]