"100 Million Won Nomination Donation" Dispute Continues as Police Summon Ex-Aide to Kang Sun-woo for Fourth Time

The police investigation into the alleged "100 million won nomination donation" is widening as key figures are being summoned one after another. Testimonies from Seoul Metropolitan Council member Kim Kyung, independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo, and Kang's former aide Nam have conflicted, and with reports of recent changes in Nam's statements and fresh allegations that Kim provided additional funds, those involved in the case are again appearing before investigators.
According to reporting by The Financial News on the 23rd, the Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Metropolitan Investigation Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency questioned Nam, the former aide to Kang, that day. Nam arrived at the Metropolitan Investigation Unit building at around 9 a.m. and went straight to the interrogation room. He did not respond to reporters asking, "Did you deliver the jeonse deposit to Representative Kang?", "Did you really not know it was money when you moved the shopping bag?", and "Did your testimony change over the weekend?" This is the fourth time police have questioned Nam.
Nam has been identified as a key figure in the delivery of the 100 million won nomination donation. In an earlier police questioning, Kim Kyung reportedly stated that ahead of the 2022 local elections, Nam first arranged a meeting and proposed the transfer of funds, and that the 100 million won amount was also suggested by Nam's side. Kim also claims that at a meeting where both Kang and Nam were present, he handed the cash directly to Kang while Nam briefly stepped away.
Nam, on the other hand, initially acknowledged that he met Kang and Kim together, but said he did not know any money changed hands while he was away from the table. He has maintained that he only moved a "package" to a car later on Kang's instructions. However, it has been reported that in more recent questioning he gave statements of a different nature regarding whether he knew the package contained money. Police are said to be examining whether his testimony has changed and how credible it is.
Kang has consistently insisted, "I have never received any money," and claims that after Nam reported the matter to her afterward, she immediately ordered the funds returned. She is also reported to deny allegations that she used the money as a jeonse deposit, saying she relied on her own personal funds. Recently, police summoned Kang as a suspect and questioned her for more than 20 hours, focusing on whether she knew about the money at the time it was delivered and exactly when it was returned.
At the same time, separate allegations that Kim provided additional funds to others have also become a target of investigation. The Seoul Metropolitan Election Commission received a report that in October 2023, ahead of the Seoul Gangseo-gu mayoral by-election, Kim gave money not only to Kang but also to another political figure. The commission referred the case to the police on the 19th. The suspected offense is a violation of the Political Funds Act, and investigators are examining whether it is connected to the existing nomination donation allegations.
Based on the testimony obtained from Nam in the latest questioning, along with previously seized materials and analyzed communication records, police plan to assess the credibility of the statements made by Kim, Kang, and Nam. If necessary, they are also expected to consider additional summonses or face-to-face confrontational questioning among those involved.
425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter