▲ Song Young-gil (C), a former leader of the Democratic Party, speaks to reporters ahead of questioning at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office in Seoul on Dec. 8, 2023. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) ex-DP chief-arrest warrant

(LEAD) Arrest warrant sought for ex-DP leader over cash-for-votes scandal

(ATTN: UPDATES with more info in paras 4-6, 8)

SEOUL, Dec. 13 (Yonhap) -- Prosecutors sought an arrest warrant Wednesday for Song Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), in an investigation into a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership election.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office requested the warrant five days after Song was questioned on charges of bribery and illegal political funding.

Prosecutors launched the investigation in April into allegations that Song's campaign distributed cash envelopes totaling 66 million won (US$50,201) to sitting DP lawmakers and other party members in the run-up to the party's leadership election in May 2021, which he ultimately won.

Prosecutors suspect Song's involvement in the handout of the suspected cash envelopes to 20 lawmakers, each containing 3 million won.

Suspicions against Song also include that he took 763 million won in illegal political funds and bribes around that time via his support group, the Research Institute for Peace & Livelihood, from businessmen, including a former chief of the Yeosu arm of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Including these, prosecutors suspect Song took a total of 820 million won in illegal political funds from 2020-2021.

"Using his political status, Song received a lump sum of illegal political funds and provided them to buy out voters," a prosecution official said.

Song has squarely denied the allegations, accusing prosecutors of "a politically orchestrated investigation" targeting him.

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