Police investigating allegations that Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Governor Kim Gwan-young distributed cash to public officials and others have launched a compulsory investigation into the Jeonbuk provincial government office.
The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency dispatched investigators to Governor Kim's office and secretariat at the provincial government building on the morning of Monday to secure related materials.
Governor Kim is suspected of distributing cash to 20 people — including Jeonbuk provincial council members, prospective local election candidates, and public officials — at a restaurant in Wansan-gu, Jeonju on November 30 last year.
After the allegations surfaced, Kim explained, "I gave a total of 680,000 won in amounts ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 won to attendees who had been drinking that evening, telling them to use it for designated driver services. However, I judged it was inappropriate and collected the money back the next day."
In response, the Democratic Party of Korea held an emergency Supreme Council meeting on January 1 and unanimously voted to expel Governor Kim from the party. Kim contested the disciplinary action and filed an injunction the following day with the Seoul Southern District Court seeking to suspend the effect of his expulsion. The court is scheduled to hear the case on January 7.
Police, who received a formal complaint against Governor Kim, have secured and are analyzing closed-circuit television footage from the restaurant where the cash was distributed. Investigators are also accelerating the probe by summoning some of the attendees at the gathering as witnesses for questioning.