Kim set to appear before police Saturday

50 days after arrest warrant rejected

Independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, questions officials during the National Assembly National Defense Committee's national audit of the Military Manpower Administration in Daejeon on Oct. 12. [Yonhap]
Independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, questions officials during the National Assembly National Defense Committee's national audit of the Military Manpower Administration in Daejeon on Oct. 12. [Yonhap]

Independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is set to appear before police again as a suspect in a probe involving 13 separate allegations of misconduct.

According to police, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit will question Kim on Saturday — 204 days after summoning Kim for questioning on April 10.

Investigators plan to focus the session on two allegations that have been under supplementary review in the roughly 50 days since a court rejected an arrest warrant: alleged preferential treatment for Kim's second son in gaining transfer admission to Soongsil University and securing employment at Jinwoo Sanjeon, which falls under charges of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes; and alleged complicity in accepting political donation money from Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Sun-woo in connection with a party primary, which falls under charges of obstruction of business.

As the session is intended to wrap up the investigation, police are also expected to pursue additional questioning on other charges: alleged private misuse of a Dongjak-gu Council corporate card by Kim and Kim's spouse, a person surnamed Lee, which falls under embezzlement in the course of business; alleged bribery in which Kim conducted legislative activities favorable to cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb in exchange for hiring Kim's second son; and alleged unauthorized seizure and distribution of Telegram chat records belonging to former staff members, in violation of the Protection of Communications Secrets Act.

On Sept. 11, prosecutors rejected the police-requested warrant, saying the necessity of detaining Kim had not been sufficiently demonstrated. Prosecutors also called for additional evidence on the charges listed in the warrant application, and cited the lack of meaningful investigative progress in the roughly five months between Kim's last summons and the warrant request as a further reason for the rejection.

The civic group Seominsaengdaechaek Committee filed a complaint last September raising allegations of preferential treatment in Kim's second son's transfer admission to Soongsil University. A series of additional complaints followed, each citing further allegations, prompting the investigation into Kim — which has now remained at the police stage for 13 months.

At a regular press briefing held Tuesday at the Korean National Police Agency headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, National Investigation Headquarters chief Hong Seok-gi pushed back against suggestions that the prolonged investigation reflected deference to those in power. "Absolutely not," Hong said. "We are conducting the investigation in accordance with the law and principles."


arin@heraldcorp.com