Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Division will investigate 13 allegations surrounding Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byeong-ki, regardless of jurisdiction. [Photo=Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency]

The police have decided to consolidate the investigations into 13 allegations surrounding Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byeong-ki, which were initially divided among the Public Crime Investigation Division, Yeongdeungpo Police Station, Dongjak Police Station, and Seocho Police Station, into the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Division to concentrate investigative efforts. 

The Committee for the Protection of Citizens' Livelihoods (led by Kim Soon-hwan), which filed the complaint against lawmaker Kim, stated, "We requested that all allegations be handled in one place due to concerns that investigative powers would be dispersed if jurisdiction was divided." 

The allegations against lawmaker Kim include: △ Suspicion of receiving nomination funds △ Allegations of suppressing investigation into his spouse △ Receiving 대한항공 (Korean Air) accommodation vouchers and demanding preferential treatment △ Lunch with Coupang CEO ahead of the parliamentary audit △ Demanding preferential medical treatment at a hospital △ Allegations of involvement in his eldest son's recruitment to the National Intelligence Service △ Allegations of involvement in his second son's transfer to Soongsil University △ Allegations of involvement in his second son's recruitment to Bithumb △ Illegally obtaining Telegram conversations of his aides △ Allegations of condoning lawmaker Kang Seon-woo's receipt of money and valuables. 

Lawmaker Kim's family members are also under investigation. His wife, Ms. Lee, is suspected of misusing a Dongjak District Councilor's corporate card for personal use and using aides for personal matters. His eldest son is suspected of using lawmaker Kim's aides for his work at the National Intelligence Service.

Meanwhile, Seoul City Councilor Kim, who is suspected of giving 100 million won to independent lawmaker Kang Seon-woo as a reward for nomination, has left the country, and the police have confirmed they have issued a "notification upon entry" measure. 

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Division suspects that Councilor Kim's departure was an attempt to flee in anticipation of the investigation intensifying. 

Typically, the notification upon entry and exit bans for subjects of investigation are coordinated measures. The police plan to interrogate Councilor Kim as soon as he returns to the country.

Lawmaker Kim Byeong-ki of the Democratic Party, who was the secretary of the Seoul City Party Nomination Management Committee in 2022, is facing controversy for allegedly condoning these suspicions after hearing them directly from lawmaker Kang. Councilor Kim later received the nomination.

Regarding the nomination funds, lawmaker Kim is suspected of receiving 10 million won and 20 million won respectively from two former Dongjak District councilors ahead of the 2020 general elections and subsequently returning the money. 

The former Dongjak District councilors reportedly submitted a petition containing these details to the party leader's office through former councilor Lee, but no significant action was taken. 

Former councilor Lee stated, "When I asked to deliver the petition to an aide, I was told it would be sent to aide Kim Hyun-ji." He added, "Upon checking, the party's Ethics Inspection Committee seemed unaware of the petition itself. That's how the inspection was suppressed and the parties involved were cut off (excluded from nomination)."

In relation to this, a former aide to lawmaker Kim claimed in a statement submitted to the Dongjak Police Station that lawmaker Kim intercepted the petition and instructed aides to keep it. 

The police conducted an investigation of the complainant by calling in a representative from the citizens' group Committee for the Protection of Citizens' Livelihoods at 1:30 PM on the 7th. 

By Im Yo-hee