Kim Byungki summoned for eighth time in six months... "Complaint riddled with malice and lies"

50 days after arrest warrant request was returned
On allegations of witness coercion: "Evidence was distorted"
Final day of the Police Investigation Review Committee's case-handling deadline

Independent lawmaker Kim Byung-ki, who is accused of bribery and obstruction of business, appeared at a police station on October 31. It was his eighth summons since last April, six months ago, and came 50 days after the police's request for an arrest warrant was returned.

Kim arrived at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Mapo office at around 9:56 a.m. that day and said, "I have suffered disadvantages that I cannot fully put into words" and "This is a complaint that, as anyone can see, is riddled with malice and lies."

Yonhap News Agency

He added, "Even so, this is still the time for the investigation," and "I will fully explain the facts and prove that I am innocent."

Asked by reporters about indications that witnesses had been pressured, he countered, "It was the witnesses who distorted the evidence." He also said, "I did not call," in response to allegations that he had tried to contact the secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Korea's Dongjak-gap Committee directly.

The Public Crimes Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division plans to question Kim as a suspect that day about 13 allegations, including nomination-related bribery and his second son's employment and salary. Investigators are also expected to focus on suspected attempts to destroy evidence and influence witness statements that came to light during the supplementary investigation.

On September 7, the police sought an arrest warrant for Kim on suspicion of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and obstruction of business, among other charges. Four days later, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested a supplementary investigation, saying that insufficient grounds had been provided to establish the need for his arrest.

Afterward, the police questioned Kim's former aide and the secretary-general of the Democratic Party of Korea's Dongjak-gap Committee at the time in 2020 as witnesses, and conducted a supplementary investigation into bribery allegations involving his second son's salary.

October 31 is the final day of the case-handling deadline set by the Police Investigation Review Committee. After questioning Kim, the police are expected to decide how to proceed with the case, including whether to seek an arrest warrant again.

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