Rep. Kang Sun-woo, who is under suspicion of taking a 100 million won nomination bribe, finished the first police questioning after 21 hours.
Kang left the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit at about 5:50 a.m. on the 21st. She appeared at about 8:55 a.m. the previous day and was questioned overnight.
After the questioning, Kang told reporters, "I did my best to faithfully respond to the investigation truthfully," and added, "I am sorry for causing concern to the public over this matter." She continued, "I will do my best, as I have, to faithfully respond truthfully to the remaining investigation."
Kang, however, left without answering questions such as "Did you use 100 million won for a jeonse deposit?" and "Are you willing to accept a face-to-face examination?"
Kang is suspected of receiving 100 million won from Seoul City Council member Kim Kyung ahead of the 2022 local elections and then returning it. At the time, Kang was a nomination committee member for the Democratic Party of Korea's Seoul chapter, and Kim was a candidate. The suspicion emerged after a recording of Kang speaking with Rep. Kim Byung-kee, who was the secretary of the party's Seoul chapter nomination committee, was made public.
Police are believed to have focused on discrepancies in statements in their questioning of Kang. Kim recently told police that in April 2022, at a cafe in Seoul, Kim handed 100 million won in cash to Kang. It was also reported that Kim claimed Kang used the money as a jeonse deposit and returned it around the fall of the same year.
Kang had explained that she learned belatedly that former secretary-general Nam had received money and ordered it returned, but that differs from Kim's account.
Based on the day's questioning, police are expected to decide whether to seek custody measures for Kang, Kim, Nam and others. The possibility of additional summons remains open.