Changwon: A former lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) appeared before prosecutors on Sunday for questioning over allegations of providing funds to a self-proclaimed power broker at the center of a growing political scandal. Kim Young-sun, a former PPP lawmaker from a district in South Gyeongsang Province, arrived at the Changwon District Prosecutors Office in Changwon, located about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim has been under probe for allegedly transferring approximately 90 million won (US$65,200) from her salary to Myung Tae-kyun, a shadowy figure who ran a polling agency, on several occasions between August 2022 and February this year. Prosecutors suspect the money was provided as compensation to Myung for his assistance with Kim’s candidacy in the June 2022 by-elections in violation of political funding laws.

Myung is at the center of a scandal involving claims that he aided Kim in securing her nomination by leveraging his personal connections wi
th President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee. Kim Young-sun, who was summoned as a suspect, denied allegations that she sent money to Myung in return for his role in the nomination process. “The nomination allegations have nothing to do with me,” Kim told reporters before entering the office.

The appearance marks her second time before prosecutors, following an initial questioning in June when she appeared as a witness. The presidential office has said Yoon had communicated with Myung during primaries for the 2022 presidential elections, but severed ties with him afterward. However, the main opposition Democratic Party has intensified the political offensive by disclosing a phone conversation between Yoon and Myung regarding Kim’s nomination in May 2022, when Yoon was a president-elect.