Police Drop Kang Senu 'Split Donation for Appointment' Case

Received 5 Million Won in Donations from Former City Councilor
Police Cite Lack of Evidence Considering Timing of Appointment

The police have cleared Kang Senu, an independent member of the National Assembly, in a case where he was accused of receiving so-called "split donations" from a former Seoul city councilor in return for appointing the councilor as head of the Gangseo-gu Facilities Management Corporation in Seoul.

On the 21st, the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had decided not to refer Assemblyman Kang and the former Seoul city councilor, identified as Mr. Kim, to the prosecution. Both had been accused of violating the Political Funds Act.

Kang Sunwoo, an independent member of the National Assembly, is voting on a motion to end unlimited debate at the plenary session held in the National Assembly in August last year. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

According to the police, it was difficult to conclude that Assemblyman Kang received donations as a reward for arranging the councilor's appointment as head of the facilities management corporation or that he accepted donations to exert political influence, considering the timing of Kim's appointment and other related circumstances. Therefore, he was cleared of all charges. A "no charge" decision is rendered when it is determined that a crime has not been established or there is insufficient evidence to prove it, resulting in the case's closure.

Previously, Assemblyman Kang had been accused of accepting donations in exchange for appointing Kim as head of the facilities management corporation. It is known that, in 2022, Kim donated a total of 5 million won to Assemblyman Kang in three installments.

Kim ran as the sole nominee of a Gangseo-gu district in the 8th nationwide local elections in 2022 but was not elected. Subsequently, in September last year, Kim was appointed as head of the corporation, raising suspicions about a quid pro quo relationship between the donation and the appointment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.