Prime Minister Kim Min-seok was reported to police over allegations of "mobilizing a religious group for a primary."
Lee Jong-bae, a Seoul Metropolitan Council member from the People Power Party, said on the 9th that he reported the prime minister to police on charges including abuse of authority and violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, the Political Funds Act, and the Political Parties Act.
Earlier, People Power Party lawmaker Jin Jong-oh on 30th released a related recording, saying it had emerged that Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung had enrolled 3,000 believers from a specific religious group in the Democratic Party of Korea to have them vote for the prime minister in next year's local election primary.
In response to the allegations, the city council member Kim left the Democratic Party and filed a complaint with police against lawmaker Jin on charges including defamation by false information.
Ahead of filing the complaint, Council Member Lee held a press conference in front of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and said, "We cannot rule out the possibility that the prime minister and the city council member Kim colluded in some way."
He added, "If they colluded to recruit party members, it is a serious case of undermining the national order, and if the prime minister participated in recruiting party members as part of pre-election campaigning, it is a serious crime that damaged democracy."