Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash Over Bang Yongcheol's Testimony: "Clinging to Perjury" vs. "Firsthand Experience"

Special Committee on Fabricated Indictment Holds Hearing at National Assembly on April 16

Nah Kyungwon: "Former Vice Chairman Bang Provided Detailed Testimony About the Location"

Park Sungjoon: "Prosecution Gave Benefits for False Testimony"

The ruling and opposition parties clashed in the National Assembly's Special Committee for the Investigation into Allegations of Political Prosecution Manipulation by the Yoon Seok-yeol Administration over the testimony of Bang Yongcheol, former Vice Chairman of Ssangbangwool.

On the morning of April 16, the special committee held a hearing at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul regarding the Daejang-dong case, the Wirye New Town case, and the bribery allegations against former Deputy Director Kim Yong of the Democratic Research Institute.

On April 16, during the 8th plenary meeting of the Special Committee for the National Assembly Investigation into the allegations of political prosecution manipulation by the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, Seo Young-kyo, the committee chair, struck the gavel at the hearing on the Daejang-dong, former Deputy Director Kim Yong of the Democratic Research Institute, and Wirye New Town manipulation indictment allegations. April 16, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

One of the biggest issues during the special committee meeting on this day was the testimony of former Vice Chairman Bang. At the special committee session held on April 14, Bang stated that he had met North Korean operative Ri Honam in the Philippines and delivered 700,000 dollars as compensation for President Lee Jaemyung's visit to North Korea.

Na Kyungwon, a member of the People Power Party, emphasized, "The public can now clearly see how manipulated this special committee is. Former Vice Chairman Bang provided detailed testimony regarding the place, time, and method of giving 700,000 dollars to Ri Honam, revealing that the Democratic Party's claims are false."

Na further added, "Continuing this national investigation is simply a waste of budget, an attempt to mislead the public, and a means for the Democratic Party to become the 'Crime-Defending Party' in order to justify its crimes."

Yoon Sanghyun, another member of the People Power Party, also stated, "Former Vice Chairman Bang has already served a sentence due to suspicions of involvement in the North Korea remittance case, and has given consistent testimony to the prosecution, in court, and at the special committee hearing. We should believe what the person directly involved has experienced."

In response, the Democratic Party countered Bang's statements as 'perjury,' citing a report from the National Intelligence Service that Ri Honam was in a third country, not the Philippines, at the time.

Jeon Yonggi, a member of the Democratic Party, pointed out, "You can't trust the National Intelligence Service's report, you can't trust the Financial Supervisory Service's data, and even though evidence keeps coming out, the People Power Party refuses to believe it. Why do you not consider the possibility that former Vice Chairman Bang is lying?"

Park Sungjoon, another member of the Democratic Party, also stated, "As the truth about every issue in this investigation is being revealed, the People Power Party clings to the claim of perjury by former Vice Chairman Bang and insists that all of his statements are true. The prosecution coerced false testimony from Bang and granted him a suspended sentence as a benefit. The fabrication of false testimony through Bang is the real truth behind the Ssangbangwool North Korea remittance case."

Meanwhile, on this day, the special committee issued an order to compel the attendance of individuals including Kim Manbae and Jung Younghak, who are related to the Daejang-dong case.

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