DP chairman apologizes over party bribery allegations

Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung on Monday issued an apology regarding allegations that lawmakers and party members were bribed with cash envelopes ahead of the party's national convention in 2021 to elect a new party leader.

Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung, center, bows his head in apology over mass bribery allegations against DP members and lawmakers during a party meeting at the National Assembly on Monday. [NEWS1]

Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung on Monday issued an apology regarding allegations that lawmakers and party members were bribed with cash envelopes ahead of the party's national convention in 2021 to elect a new party leader.

Prosecutors are investigating suspicions that bribes totaling 94 million won ($71,700) were distributed to DP members ahead of the convention in May 2021 to help then-lawmaker and eventual winner Song Young-gil be elected party chairman.

“As party leader, I deeply apologize for causing people concern over this issue,” Lee said at a party meeting at the National Assembly.

The state prosecution service on Wednesday raided the homes and offices of DP lawmakers Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man to investigate allegations that the pair were involved in distributing the money, which prosecutors suspect was collected from regional businesspeople.

Youn and Lee served in Song’s campaign ahead of the national convention.

Both lawmakers have denied the allegations, accusing prosecutors of conducting a politically motivated investigation.

Song, who has lived in France since last year, has also denied the accusations.

The DP has a fraught relationship with the state prosecution service.

The party has employed its majority in the National Assembly twice this year to reject arrest motions from prosecutors against two of its lawmakers: Lee, who has been accused of committing corruption and bribery in connection to the Daejang-dong development in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, and Rep. Noh Woong-rae, who faces suspicions that he accepted about 60 million won ($45,785) in illegal funds from a businessman around the time of the 2020 parliamentary elections.

The party passed a law in May last year intended to strip the prosecution of its investigative powers, just before President Yoon Suk Yeol took office.

Lee said the party has asked former leader Song to return to Korea soon to address the allegations.

“The entire picture of this case has not yet been determined, but I believe our party’s position requires clarification,” Lee said, adding that the DP “requests a swift and fair investigation that takes no political considerations into account.”

Although prosecutors have not disclosed the names of the party members suspected of accepting bribes in the case, local media reports have said that between 10 and 20 DP lawmakers are being investigated.

The allegations were first raised during a separate probe into Lee Jung-geun, who formerly served as the DP’s deputy secretary general and is accused of receiving illegal political funds that prosecutors believe were later distributed to party members.

In response to the allegations, the conservative People Power Party (PPP) has called for an emergency meeting of the National Assembly’s judiciary committee to examine the case.

The PPP has also suggested it could set up a hotline for whistleblowers from inside the DP.

PPP Chairman Kim Gi-hyeon called on his DP counterpart to “urge the relevant individuals to thoroughly cooperate with the investigation.”

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