On February 10th, independent lawmaker Kang Seon-woo, who faces allegations of exchanging 100 million KRW (approximately $75,000 USD) in campaign funds with former Seoul city councilor Kim Kyung, reportedly sent a personal letter to his fellow lawmakers. This marked his first public statement since the request for his arrest warrant on February 9th. In the letter, Kang addressed the allegations regarding the campaign funds but did not mention whether he would waive his parliamentary immunity.
According to a comprehensive report from News1 on February 10th, Kang Seon-woo, who left the Democratic Party, expressed his remorse to his fellow lawmakers in the letter, stating, “I deeply apologize for causing you concern over this matter. I take full responsibility for my shortcomings and negligence.”
Kang continued, “While I’m concerned this may sound like an excuse, I felt it was my duty to explain the situation to my esteemed colleagues. I want to clarify some points that differ from what has been reported in the media.”
He asserted, “100 million KRW is not worth risking my political career or my life. I didn’t enter politics with grand ambitions. As a mother, I simply wanted to create a world where I wouldn’t have to worry about outliving my child with developmental disabilities.”
Kang elaborated on the allegations surrounding the 100 million KRW campaign fund, explaining, “In January 2022, as the presidential election preparations were in full swing, I was overwhelmed and losing track of time. My aide introduced me to Kim Kyung, which was no different from the numerous meetings that occur during an election season.”
He added, “The shopping bag I received as a customary gift that day was stored in my home’s storage room, untouched. Given my tendency to misplace things, I simply forgot about that gift.”
Kang recounted, “On April 20, 2022, during a meeting of the Seoul City Party’s nomination committee, I proposed finding a young female candidate for the Gangseo District 1 councilor position to run an impressive campaign. Immediately after, I received an angry phone call from candidate Kim Kyung. That’s when I realized the gift I had received was worth 100 million KRW (approximately $75,000 USD).”
He described his feelings at that moment, saying, “I felt utterly lost and thought everything was over. I immediately instructed my aide to return the money and informed the committee secretary. I was so frightened that I even wanted to plead with the committee secretary for help.”
Despite his distress, he felt obligated to attend the nomination committee meeting on April 22. During the meeting, when asked about Gangseo Gap, he honestly reported, “We searched for young female candidates, but it proved challenging to find suitable ones. Objectively, candidate Kim Kyung had significantly higher scores than others.”
Kang stated, “Ultimately, after thorough discussions and deliberations by the committee, Kim Kyung was selected for the uncontested nomination. Although rejected candidates filed objections, they were dismissed due to Kim’s substantially higher scores. At that time, 85 out of 101 candidates for Seoul city council districts received uncontested nominations.”
Regarding allegations that the 100 million KRW he received was used for a security deposit, Kang clarified, “The claim that I used the 100 million KRW for a deposit is entirely false. My father-in-law passed away on March 10, 2022, and we received a substantial amount in condolence money, which we used for the deposit.”
He also mentioned, “I made several attempts through my aide to return the 100 million KRW to Kim Kyung, but it proved difficult. I even suspected he was intentionally avoiding accepting it. Eventually, I met Kim Kyung in person and returned the money.”
Kang noted, “That day was just one day after the guilty verdict for former Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo. I recall Kim Kyung telling me that had he known I would return the money, he wouldn’t have agreed to meet.”
He added, “Subsequently, there were attempts to give me money as donations or gifts, but I consistently returned or refused them. Around October 2022, I discovered large sums of 5 million KRW (about $3,750 USD) being deposited into my donation account. My staff confirmed that the donors contributed based on Kim Kyung’s recommendation. I returned a total of 82 million KRW (approximately $61,500 USD). In December 2023, a similar incident occurred, and I returned all 50 million KRW (about $37,500 USD).”
Kang remarked, “If I had demanded 100 million KRW, I wouldn’t have met in a conspicuous hotel café. It’s also implausible that I would suddenly propose to conduct a high-profile election with young women at the committee. There was no reason to report receiving the money to the committee secretary, nor would I need to go through such lengths to return the 100 million KRW. If I had solicited donations and received them in installments, I wouldn’t have meticulously verified and returned each amount.”
He concluded, “I won’t claim innocence. I should have been more vigilant and stricter in my conduct. I will face my responsibilities without evasion. I will confront this situation with dignity and humility.” He reiterated, “I sincerely apologize once again for causing you concern over this matter.”
Earlier, the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office’s Public Investigation Division 2 requested arrest warrants for both Kang and former councilor Kim. This came just four days after the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Public Crime Investigation Unit applied for arrest warrants for both individuals on February 5. Kang faces charges of violating the Political Funds Act and the Anti-Corruption Act, as well as allegations of breach of trust. Former councilor Kim faces similar charges under the Political Funds Act and the Anti-Corruption Act, along with allegations of breach of trust.
Most Commented