Why did Seoul prosecutors reject the police arrest warrant request for Kim Byung-kee?

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said the police had not sufficiently explained the need to place Kim in custody. It also said an additional investigation was needed to better establish the need for his arrest and to supplement evidence on some of the charges.

What misconduct allegations are Kim Byung-kee facing in the police probe?

He is accused of getting his second son hired by a traffic facilities manufacturer in return for legislative favors and of receiving about 67 million won in salary and university tuition. He is also suspected of accepting political donations tied to favorable legislative activity, taking a high-priced accommodation voucher from Korean Air, and misusing a Dongjak Ward Council credit card.

How long had Kim Byung-kee been questioned before prosecutors said detention was unnecessary?

Prosecutors said Kim had complied with seven rounds of summons for questioning. They also said five months had passed since his final questioning and that there was no evidence he had tried to destroy evidence during that period.

Prosecutors demand supplementary probe, rejecting police request to arrest lawmaker

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Summary

Prosecutors on Friday rejected police’s request to seek an arrest warrant for independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee and ordered a supplementary investigation in Seoul. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said the police had not sufficiently explained why Kim should be detained. The decision came four days after police sought his arrest over bribery and obstruction allegations after a yearlong probe.

Key Facts

Police had sought an arrest warrant for Kim four days before the prosecutors’ decision, after a yearlong investigation.
Kim is accused of having his second son employed by a traffic facilities manufacturer in exchange for legislative favors and receiving about 67 million won in salary and university tuition.
He is also suspected of overlooking Kang Sun-woo’s alleged acceptance of 100 million won in bribes from a former Seoul city councilor before the 2022 local elections and misusing the Dongjak Ward Council’s credit card.
Prosecutors said Kim had complied with seven rounds of summons for questioning and that five months had passed since his final questioning.
The prosecution said no evidence was found that Kim attempted to destroy evidence during the five months after his final questioning.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 11, 2026 3:46 pm KST

Independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee attends a plenary session of the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Prosecutors on Friday rejected police's request to file for an arrest warrant for independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee over various allegations of misconduct and called for a supplementary investigation, saying the police have failed to sufficiently explain the need to place him in custody.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said it asked the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to conduct an additional investigation to sufficiently establish the need for Kim's arrest.

The prosecution said it found the need to supplement evidence related to some of the charges against Kim after closely reviewing the collected evidence and the suspect's statements.

The move came four days after the police agency sought an arrest warrant for Kim, a former floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, on charges including bribery and obstruction of business following a yearlong investigation.

Kim is accused of having his second son employed by a traffic facilities manufacturer in exchange for legislative favors for the company and receiving bribes worth about 67 million won ($49,800) in the form of salary and university tuition.

He is also suspected of overlooking independent lawmaker Kang Sun-woo's alleged acceptance of 100 million won in bribes from a former Seoul city councilor ahead of the 2022 local elections and misusing the Dongjak Ward Council's credit card.

In addition, Kim allegedly received political donations in exchange for legislative activities favorable to a leisure company and accepted a high-priced accommodation voucher from Korean Air.

However, prosecutors said the need for Kim's detention had not been sufficiently established, noting that he had complied with seven rounds of summons for questioning and that five months have passed since his final questioning.

Prosecutors also noted that no evidence was found indicating that Kim attempted to destroy evidence during the five months since his final questioning.

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