Police receive new complaint over Kim Byung-gi allegation

Jan 05, 2026, 07:24 am

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Kim Byung-gi, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, returns to his seat after voting on agenda items including the consent motion for the appointment of the Board of Audit and Inspection chief at a plenary session of the National Assembly on Dec. 30. / Yonhap News

Police have received an additional criminal complaint alleging that Kim Byung-gi of the Democratic Party of Korea sought to have a police investigation involving his spouse covered up.

According to Yonhap News on Jan. 4, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency accepted a complaint accusing Kim, a ruling People Power Party lawmaker identified as A, and a senior police officer identified as B of violating the anti-graft law, dereliction of duty, and abuse of authority.

The complaint calls for a formal investigation based on statements obtained when police questioned Kim’s former aide as a witness in November last year. The aide allegedly testified that Kim attempted to ask lawmaker A to intervene and halt a police probe into Kim’s wife.

At the time, police were conducting a preliminary inquiry into allegations that Kim’s wife, identified only as Lee, had privately used a corporate credit card belonging to a Dongjak district councilor between July and September 2022. After a two-month review, police concluded there was insufficient evidence of wrongdoing and closed the case.

Both lawmaker A and senior officer B have denied the allegations, saying they have no personal relationship that would prompt private contact and that no such communication took place.

Police are also investigating a separate allegation that Kim accepted money from former Dongjak district councilors ahead of the 2020 general election before returning the funds.

#Kim Byung-gi #Democratic Party of Korea #police complaint #probe cover-up allegation #anti-graft law