Aide to former DP chief arrested as party splits reappear

A former aide to previous Democratic Party (DP) leader Song Young-gil was arrested late Monday on charges related to a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership race.

Park Yong-soo, a former aide to previous Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil, is escorted out of his warrant review hearing at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Monday afternoon. [YONHAP]

A former aide to previous Democratic Party (DP) leader Song Young-gil was arrested late Monday on charges related to the cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership race.

The arrest comes amid rising tensions within the party over its current legal woes.

The Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for Park Yong-soo, a DP official who was in charge of fund management for Song's campaign at the time of the election, citing concerns he could destroy evidence.

The scandal, also known as the “cash envelopes” scheme, centers on allegations 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.

Park is accused of violating the Political Party Act by colluding with other DP members and lawmakers to distribute 67.5 million won to shore up support for Song’s candidacy.

According to prosecutors, Park received 50 million won from a businessman in April 2021 and delivered 60 million won to Rep. Youn Kwan-suk.

Prosecutors allege Youn then helped distribute that amount to 20 other DP lawmakers before the convention by divvying up the amount into envelopes containing 3 million won each.

Youn left the DP in early May alongside fellow lawmaker Lee Sung-man after allegations of their involvement were raised.

Prosecutors filed arrest motions against both lawmakers to the National Assembly in May, but both requests were narrowly rejected by the DP-controlled legislature last month.

Park’s arrest comes amid an onslaught of allegations and criminal investigations against the DP, whose prominent members appeared to take aim at each other for the party’s troubles in recent days.

At a press conference on Thursday, Song asked whether former President Moon Jae-in, who has taken up retirement in rural South Gyeongsang, should be “leisurely running a bookshop” during a period of crisis for the party, which has seen its leader Lee Jae-myung embroiled in an investigation over charges of bribery and breach of trust related to his 2010-2018 tenure as mayor of Seongnam, Gyeonggi.

The election of Song, who is believed to be aligned with Lee, heralded the ascendancy of Lee’s faction within the party.

Lee later that year won the party’s nomination as its candidate for the March 2022 election over Lee Nak-yon, Moon’s former prime minister and also a previous DP chairman.

The comments by Song are seen by some observers as hinting at a breakdown in the relatively peaceful coexistence of the two DP factions aligned with Lee Jae-myung and Moon Jae-in.

Lee Nak-yon, who was widely seen as Moon’s successor before losing the nomination, appeared to suggest upon his return to Korea last month that the current state of the country and his party’s predicament are partially due to his failure to clinch the presidential nomination over Lee Jae-myung.

“I bear responsibility for the fact that the people are now worrying about the country,” the former prime minister told reporters gathered at Incheon International Airport on June 24.

He added, “I will carry out my unfulfilled duty,” suggesting he could stage a political comeback.

Speculation has mounted over what kind of role Lee might play ahead of the general election next year following his visit Wednesday to Seoul National Cemetery to pay his respects to late President Kim Dae-jung.

Visiting the cemetery, where patriots and former presidents are buried, is often seen as a rite of passage for political leaders ahead of taking a new course.

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