Police summoned North Chungcheong Gov. Kim Young-hwan, who was accused of perjury during the National Assembly's fact-finding investigation into the Osong disaster.
The Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul began questioning Gov. Kim as a suspect at 2 p.m. on the 4th on suspicion of violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly. It came 40 days after the National Assembly passed the motion to file a complaint. Upon arrival, Kim told reporters, "I will face the investigation with confidence and sincerity."
Earlier, Kim said during the fact-finding investigation conducted by the Public Administration and Security Committee on Sept. 10 that on the day of the Osong disaster he was watching the Mihogang and the Gungpyeong 2 underpass via closed-circuit (CC) TV and made calls to more than 10 locations.
The Public Administration and Security Committee determined Kim's remarks were false and, when it adopted the report on the findings of the Osong disaster investigation on Sept. 25, it also passed a motion to file a perjury complaint against Kim. The complaint was submitted to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul on the 30th of the same month.
The Act on Testimony and Appraisal before the National Assembly stipulates that a witness who appears before the legislature and gives false testimony shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term of at least one year and up to 10 years.