Police summoned National Agricultural Cooperative Federation President Kang Ho-dong, suspected of receiving cash and valuables worth about 1 billion won, as a suspect and questioned him for more than 18 hours.
On Apr. 5, the anti-corruption unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's violent crime investigation division questioned Kang from 10 a.m. the previous day until about 4:09 a.m. on the day on suspicion of taking bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. It was the first time Kang appeared before police as a suspect.
After finishing the questioning that morning, Kang told reporters who asked, "What did you clarify in today's questioning?" and other questions, "I explained the parts that were misunderstandings in detail and underwent the questioning well."
However, Kang did not answer questions such as "Do you admit to the allegation of taking 1 billion won?" and "Do you have anything to say about the suspicions being raised?"
Kang is suspected of receiving more than 1 billion won in cash around Jan. 2024, during the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation president election period, from the head of a service contractor that had a transaction relationship with a subsidiary of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation.
Police have been investigating the related case since Sep. last year. They later searched the president's office of the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation in Jung District, Seoul, in Oct., and also imposed a travel ban on Kang.