Song Young-gil Voluntarily Requests Summons Investigation... Prosecution Plans to Proceed According to Established Procedures

The prosecution investigating the 2021 money envelope scandal at the Democratic Party of Korea is unlikely to summon former party leader Song Young-gil immediately upon his return to the country on the 24th. Although Song has volunteered to be questioned by the prosecution right away, the prosecution intends to continue the investigation according to the predetermined schedule.

Song Young-gil, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 22nd, at a press conference held in Paris, former leader Song clearly drew a line regarding criminal responsibility in the money envelope case. He stated, "From April 18, 2021, after the candidate registration, I was running around frantically every 30 minutes," and added, "It was difficult for a candidate to personally oversee every detail of the campaign."

He also emphasized that he has no recollection of receiving reports from Democratic Party lawmakers Yoon Kwan-seok and Lee Seong-man about the fundraising and execution of the money envelopes.

Song was identified as the ultimate beneficiary of this scandal. Therefore, whether he was involved in or tacitly approved the process of delivering the money envelopes is crucial, but he denied all such allegations and asserted his innocence.

Regarding Kang Rae-gu, former standing auditor of the Korea Water Resources Corporation, who is suspected of leading the entire fund distribution process, Song downplayed his involvement by stating, "He gave up running in the last general election and became an auditor at the Water Resources Corporation, so he was not in a position or status to attend the party convention campaign."

Even if the suspects' charges are acknowledged, Song has consistently characterized the incident as individual deviations rather than an organized act by the campaign, and he appears to maintain this stance.

Instead, Song repeatedly emphasized only 'political responsibility,' saying, "Putting aside debates about the legal facts, all responsibility lies with me."

The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Young-cheol), which is investigating the case, views Song's press conference as merely a 'political act outside the criminal justice process' and plans to complete the investigation starting with the donors as scheduled by the investigation team.

They intend to first clarify the roles played by lawmaker Yoon, lawmaker Lee, and Mr. Kang in the fundraising, distribution, and provision of funds, then identify the lawmakers who received the funds based on this, and finally verify whether Song gave instructions or was involved.

With Song's return, the prosecution's investigation is likely to accelerate. The prosecution already believes that evidence tampering, such as collusion among accomplices, is underway. Securing custody of Mr. Kang, whose arrest warrant was rejected on the 21st, is a top priority for the prosecution.

The prosecution is expected to detain Mr. Kang to prevent attempts to destroy evidence, then approach Song through additional investigations and analysis of seized materials involving related parties such as lawmakers Yoon and Lee. Only after obtaining testimonies supporting Song's instructions or awareness will they proceed to summon and question former leader Song.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.