[Anchor]

A former aide to Representative Kim Seung-won told SBS that they sent a petition containing additional allegations against him via Telegram to Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ik-pyo on the day before President Lee Jae-myung's press conference. While the document included allegations such as sexual harassment and verbal abuse, most concerned alleged accounting fraud.

Here is reporter Ha Jeong-yeon.

[Reporter]

Former aide A to Democratic Party Representative Kim Seung-won, who withdrew from his nomination as Justice Minister, told SBS yesterday (September 21) that they delivered a petition outlining allegations against Kim to Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ik-pyo on September 17.

That was the day the National Assembly's confirmation hearing report on Kim was adopted under the Democratic Party's leadership, and the day before President Lee Jae-myung's press conference.

A said, "At around 11:10 a.m. on September 17, I sent five document files via Telegram to Senior Secretary Hong, including the petition, a letter to the President, and a compilation of alleged accounting fraud cases involving the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter".

The petition and letter, totaling 13 pages written separately by A and another former aide, detailed allegations against Kim involving sexual harassment at a drinking gathering, additional suspected drunk-driving incidents, verbal abuse against aides, and accounting fraud.

A also stated that the most critical reason for raising the issue was the so-called "payback suspicion," in which the Democratic Party's Gyeonggi Provincial Chapter—previously headed by Kim—allegedly paid certain party officials an extra 1 million to 2 million won separately from their base salaries and received the money back into separate accounts to use for other purposes.

On the afternoon of September 18, the day after delivering the petition and the day before Kim announced his voluntary withdrawal.

A recounted that they met with Kim at his request and demanded that he resign, but Kim refused.

Meanwhile, a key official from the Democratic Party told SBS regarding the accounting fraud allegations, "We checked at the party level, but found that Representative Kim did not spend anything personally," adding, "The National Election Commission is conducting an investigation, and we are waiting for the findings."

Cheong Wa Dae Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung answered as follows yesterday on a radio program when asked whether a petition had been submitted to Cheong Wa Dae:

[Kang Yu-jung / Senior Spokesperson for Cheong Wa Dae (KBS Radio's "Jeongkyeok Sisa") : "Because appointment authority regarding nominee Kim Seung-won is no longer in place, other stories are just 'gossip' from Cheong Wa Dae's perspective."]

Even after Democratic Party Representative Kim Seung-won stepped down as Justice Minister nominee, fallout continues to mount over the additional allegations raised by former aides.

(Video by Lee Seung-hwan | Video Editing by Choi Jin-hwa | Graphics by Kang Yoon-jung)