Independent Rep. Kim Byung-kee, a former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who faces various corruption allegations, appeared before police on the 31st. This is the fourth summons, 20 days after questioning on the 11th.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Public Crime Investigation Unit summoned Kim to the Mapo office around 2 p.m. as a suspect on charges including bribery and is under investigation into allegations such as preferential hiring of his second son.
Arriving at the Mapo office around 1:56 p.m., Kim told reporters, "I will faithfully undergo questioning and prove my innocence."
Asked, "Are you feeling okay," Kim replied, "Not very well." As for why he did not affix his seal to the record during the third summons, he said, "Because there wasn't time," and added, "I will affix it."
He did not answer a question on whether he acknowledges charges such as intervening in his second son's employment.
Police first summoned Kim on Feb. 26 and questioned him for 14 hours. They then determined that some charges were not sufficiently substantiated and conducted a third round of questioning on the 11th, but it was halted after about five hours.
At the time, Kim requested to end the questioning, citing health reasons including a herniated disk. He also went home without affixing his seal to the suspect interrogation record containing his statements.
A record without a seal cannot be used as evidence. In the questioning today, police are expected to supplement the third round and obtain his seal on the record.
Since the third round, police are said to have focused on clarifying allegations related to his second son. They searched the son's home and vehicle and summoned the son and former aides in succession to investigate related suspicions.
If today's questioning is insufficient, police are also considering a fifth summons on the 2nd of next month, when additional questioning of the second son is scheduled.
Kim is suspected of leading his second son's irregular transfer into Soongsil University, asking for a job at Bithumb, and then engaging in legislative activities favorable to Bithumb.
There are also allegations that he stifled a police investigation into his spouse's alleged misuse of a corporate card, received illegal funds from former Dongjak District council members ahead of the general election, and, suspecting that former aides exposed his alleged wrongdoing, demanded personnel disadvantages for them at their employer, Coupang.