Kim denies fund scandal

[Anchor]

Mr. Kang, who is accused of providing illegal political funds to Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok, has been confirmed to have served as Kim’s campaign sponsorship chair until last year.

The People Power Party has urged the two to resign, claiming they are politically intertwined.

In response, nominee Kim Min-seok argued the case is a politically motivated investigation by prosecutors.

Reporter Park Young-min has the details.

[Report]

This is the registration and change record for the sponsorship representative for the 21st National Assembly.

Mr. Kang served as nominee Kim Min-seok’s sponsorship chair and is the same individual who allegedly provided illegal political funds during Kim’s 2008 campaign finance violation case.

Kang also lent Kim 40 million won, which is now under scrutiny as a potential personal debt issue. In addition, Mr. Lee, an auditor from Kang’s company, also lent Kim 10 million won.

The People Power Party claims Kang is more than just a sponsor.

They point to the fact that both men consecutively led the extra-parliamentary Democratic Party, founded in 2014, and were both listed as proportional candidates in the 2016 general election.

[Kwon Seong-dong/Former Floor Leader of the People Power Party: "They are not just sponsors; they are politically intertwined with Kim Min-seok. We urge candidate Kim Min-seok to voluntarily resign from the prime minister position."]

The People Power Party plans to request Mr. Kang and others who lent money as witnesses for the personnel hearing.

After remaining silent over the weekend, Kim Min-seok pushed back, saying the case stems from politically motivated targeting by prosecutors.

He emphasized that he has paid off his debts in order of urgency and that there was no illegality in the process.

[Kim Min-seok/Prime Minister Candidate: "(There are allegations that you received funds through a fake loan document.) I suggest being cautious with unverified phrases like 'fake loan document.'"]

The Democratic Party has also come to his defense.

[Jeon Hyun-heui/Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party: "At this point, it seems like it's not about personnel verification but rather trying to hinder the Lee Jae-myung government from the start..."]

The National Assembly's Personnel Hearing Special Committee will discuss the schedule for the hearing and the selection of witnesses through consultations between the ruling and opposition parties tomorrow (6.17).

This is KBS News, Park Young-min.