Ex-Democratic Party boss arrested on bribery charges

A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for former Democratic Party (DP) leader Song Young-gil, whom the prosecution alleges gave out cash envelopes to his party members to win the party's leadership election in 2021.

Former Democratic Party chief Song Young-gil boards a vehicle headed to Seoul Detention Center at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul, on Monday. The court is reviewing an arrest warrant for Song, whose campaign is suspected of bribing DP lawmakers and party members during his ultimately successful bid for party leadership in 2021. [YONHAP]

A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for former Democratic Party (DP) leader Song Young-gil, whom the prosecution alleges gave out cash envelopes to his party members to win the party's leadership election in 2021.

The Seoul Central District Court found that the prosecution's request for the warrant had reasonable grounds as there are signs that suggest Song tried to tamper with evidence and witnesses.

The court also found that the prosecution's charges against Song were sufficiently backed up by its investigation.

The warrant for Song came eight months after the prosecution started looking into the 2021 DP party convention that elected Song as the party's leader.

Prosecutors allege Song bought votes to win the election by giving cash to 20 or so DP lawmakers and party members.

The former party leader returned from Paris in April when the prosecution started investigating the case.

However, upon returning to Korea, he turned in a new phone to the prosecution instead of the old one he used, which he said he threw away in Paris.

He was also found to have deleted files from his computers and those of Song's support group.

The prosecution also alleges Song contacted key figures involved in the case using phones under other people's names.

He is considered to have played a key role in getting current party leader Lee Jae-myung to win the party's presidential nomination during the party's convention in 2022.

After Lee lost the election to then-People Power Party candidate Yoon Suk Yeol, Song gave up his congressional district so that Lee could take his place at the National Assembly.

Lee, who also became the party's leader, is accused of leveraging his position as a National Assembly member to shield himself from arrests by the prosecutors.

Prosecutors can only seek an arrest warrant for a sitting legislator with parliamentary consent.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]