Police Launch Investigation Into Allegations Involving Yong Hye-in Over KRW 300 Million in Political Funds and Husband's Salary

Yong Hye-in, candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, has become the subject of a police investigation following a complaint regarding preferential salary treatment for her spouse, which was assigned to the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

The Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station announced that it will summon former Seoul Metropolitan Councilman Lee Jong-bae at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow (the 10th) to conduct a complainant questioning session regarding allegations concerning party dues of the Basic Income Party involving candidate Yong.

Former Councilman Lee filed a complaint against candidate Yong with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 3rd of this month for alleged violations of the Political Funds Act, and the case was subsequently assigned to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

Former Councilman Lee claimed that after candidate Yong appointed her spouse, Park Ki-hong, as a paid party official of the Basic Income Party, approximately KRW 300 million out of political funds was paid to the party as special party dues, with circumstances suggesting that a portion of this was disbursed as her spouse's salary.

He stated, "If the format of special party dues was utilized for the purpose of providing economic benefits to a spouse, there is a possibility of a violation of the Political Funds Act."

Separately, the civic group Citizens' Livelihood Countermeasures Committee filed a complaint against candidate Yong on the 2nd of this month on charges of abuse of authority and violations of the Public Official Election Act, and this case was also assigned to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

The claim asserts that candidate Yong's use of the VIP lounge at Gimpo Airport with her family in March 2023 violated the Korea Airports Corporation operation bylaws, which restrict VIP lounge usage strictly to the performance of official duties.

The police plan to conduct a complainant questioning session for the Citizens' Livelihood Countermeasures Committee on the 11th.

Attention is focused on what conclusions the police investigations will reach regarding the complaints filed against candidate Yong.

(Reported by Park Se-won | Video by Lee Eui-seon | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.