Seoul, Dec 22 Representative Kim Gi-hyeon of South Korea's main opposition People Power Party (PPP) appeared for questioning on Monday in a special counsel investigation into bribery allegations involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee.
Representative Kim arrived at the office of special counsel Min Joong-ki in central Seoul at around 1:30 p.m. as a suspect before being grilled about a luxury gift allegedly given to the former first lady two years ago.
Min's team previously asked the lawmaker to appear for questioning on December 16 but he reportedly refused. It appears that the two sides subsequently negotiated and set the date for his appearance, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The lawmaker's wife, surnamed Lee, is suspected of delivering a Roger Vivier clutch bag worth 2.6 million won (US$1,760) to Kim soon after Representative Kim was elected the PPP chairperson in March 2023.
Representative Kim was reportedly questioned about whether he was aware of the delivery of the bag.
The clutch bag was discovered at the former first lady's home, along with a thank-you letter written by Lee, during the special counsel team's raid on Nov. 6.
The team suspects that Kim colluded with a shaman to recruit about 2,400 Unification Church members to the PPP to support Representative Kim in the party leadership race and the gift was given in return for the support.
Representative Kim has acknowledged the delivery of the gift but denied the bribery allegations, saying it was done just out of social courtesy.
On Sunday, South Korea's Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok underwent nearly 10 hours of questioning by a special counsel team over allegations of election meddling linked to former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
Lee appeared before a team led by special counsel Min Joong-ki at 10 a.m. and left around 7:40 p.m. The team was set up in July to investigate corruption and other allegations surrounding the former First Lady.
"I sincerely cooperated with the investigation," Lee told reporters as he left. "I also sincerely testified about former President Yoon Suk Yeol."
It was the first time Lee had been questioned by the special counsel.
Min's team is investigating allegations that Lee colluded with former President Yoon and his wife, Kim, to meddle in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections. Lee was the leader of the then-ruling People Power Party (PPP) at the time.
Yoon and Kim are suspected of receiving free opinion polls from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2022 presidential election in exchange for the nomination of former PPP Rep. Kim Young-sun as a candidate for the by-elections.
Lee has denied the allegations.
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