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Ex-DPK chief Song attends court hearing on arrest warrant

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Song Young-gil, a former head of the Democratic Party of Korea, appears for a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Seoul, Dec. 18. Yonhap

Song Young-gil, a former head of the Democratic Party of Korea, appears for a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court, Seoul, Dec. 18. Yonhap

Song Young-gil, a former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), attended a court hearing Monday on an arrest warrant sought for him over a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the party's 2021 leadership election.

Song appeared at the Seoul Central District Court for the hearing that began in the morning to determine whether to issue an arrest warrant for him on charges that included illegal political funding.

"I exercised my rights to silence during a prosecution questioning, but I will explain myself humbly and sincerely at the court," Song told reporters before entering the court building.

Prosecutors launched the investigation in April into allegations that Song's campaign distributed cash envelopes totaling 66 million won ($50,613) to 20 sitting DPK lawmakers and other party members in the run-up to the party's leadership election in May 2021, which he ultimately won.

Prosecutors suspect Song sourced the money through illegal political funds he received from a businessman and a former DPK lawmaker.

Suspicions against Song also include him taking 763 million won in illegal political funds and bribes around that time via his support group, the Research Institute for Peace & Livelihood, from seven people, including a former chief of the Yeosu arm of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Including these, prosecutors suspect Song took a total of 820 million won in illegal political funds between 2020 and 2021.

Song has squarely denied the allegations, accusing prosecutors of "a politically orchestrated investigation" targeting him.

After the hearing, the court is expected to decide whether to grant an arrest warrant for Song as early as Monday night.

An issuance would deal a blow to the former five-term lawmaker's political career and is expected to expedite prosecutors' expansion of the investigation. (Yonhap)