Prosecutors raid ex-lawmaker involved in first lady’s alleged election interference

Prosecutors on Monday raided former lawmaker of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) Kim Young-sun and two others in connection with their alleged violations of the political fund law. Prosecutors and investigators from the Changwon District Prosecutors Office in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, searched the homes of Kim, her former accountant and Myung Tae-kyun, who runs a public opinion research company, in the morning to seize materials and evidence related to their alleged irregularities. The raids drew attention, as Kim and Myung are key figures in first lady Kim Keon Hee's alleged involvement in the PPP's candidate nominations for the April 10 general elections. An online media outlet reported early this month that Myung used his acquaintanceship with President Yoon Suk Yeol and the first lady to gain access to information on the PPP's election nominations and was involved in Kim's transfer to a different constituency. A regional election commission in Changwon asked the prosecution in December last year to investigate the former PPP lawmaker, her former accountant and Myung on charges of violating the political fund law. Prosecutors suspect that the former PPP lawmaker had handed over about 90 million won (US$69,000) to Myung on dozens of occasions following her win of a parliamentary by-election in Changwon in June 2022. Source: Yonhap News Agency