[News Today] ARREST WARRANT FOR POWER BROKER

[LEAD]
Prosecutors have sought arrest warrants for Myung Tae-kyun and former lawmaker Kim Young-sun. This is in relation to First Lady Kim Keon-hee's alleged general election nomination meddling. The charges stem from illegal financial exchanges for nominations in recent elections.

[REPORT]
Prosecutors requested the court to issue arrest warrants for Myung Tae-kyun and former lawmaker Kim Young-sun.

The two are accused of violating the political fund act.

Prosecutors believe that after the 2022 parliamentary by-election in the Uichang District of Changwon in Gyeongsangnam-do Province, Myung received 90 million won or over 64,000 U.S. dollars from Kim in return for helping her win a candidate nomination.


Myung Tae-kyun-Kang Hye-kyung (Aug., 2022)
Kim promised me exactly half her wage. If the transferred money is off even by a penny, I'd be done with her.

Myung is also suspected of seeking to collect from preliminary candidates for local elections part of the costs for some 80 public polls conducted by the Mirae Korea Research Institute during the 2022 presidential campaign period.

Kang Hye-kyung/ Kim‘s accounting official (October parliamentary audit)
He went to Seoul to collect money for the polls but did not. Instead, he
returned with Kim's candidate nomination.

Prosecutors also requested arrest warrants for the two preliminary candidates known to have provided funds to Myung.

Previously to reporters, Myung denied all accusations against him, saying that he had never received money and he is not the owner of the Mirae Korea Research Institute.

Myung Tae-kyun/ (Nov. 9)
If I were that powerful, I could have made anyone a mayor or a county head.

When requesting the arrest warrant for Myung this time, prosecutors reportedly did not include allegations that he had conducted public polls for President Yoon Suk Yeol for free and engaged in the creation of the Changwon Industrial Complex.

Myung's lawyer dismissed concerns about his attempt to discard his mobile phone and destroy evidence.
But prosecutors said that it is a serious case and Myung is considered a flight risk who can destroy evidence.

A warrant review will take place on Thursday afternoon to decide whether or not to arrest Myung and Kim.