Arrest warrant issued for PPP lawmaker Kweon over bribery allegations

A court issued a warrant on Wednesday to arrest Rep. Kweon Seong-dong of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) on charges of receiving illegal political funds in exchange for influence peddling.

The Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant against the five-term lawmaker, citing concerns he could destroy evidence, after special counsel Min Joong-ki requested the warrant against him for allegedly violating the Political Funds Act.

Kweon, who was taken to Seoul Southern Detention Center in southwestern Seoul after an hourslong court hearing the previous day, will be incarcerated immediately.

Kweon, once seen as a close confidant of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, is accused of receiving 100 million won ($72,000) in illegal political funds from a former Unification Church official in January 2022 ahead of the presidential election in March.

He was allegedly promised church member votes and in return asked to support the church if Yoon, then presidential candidate of the PPP, won the election, which he did.

The lawmaker is also accused of receiving shopping bags full of cash from Unification Church leader Han Hak-ja between February and March 2022, as well as informing the church of a police investigation into Han.

As he arrived at the court, Kweon criticized the special counsel, comparing its investigation to a past corruption case he faced during the former liberal President Moon Jae-in's administration, for which he was later acquitted.

"I was innocent then, and I am innocent this time as well," he told reporters, without responding to questions about the specific allegations.

The court decision on his potential arrest will be made as early as later in the day.

The hearing comes after the National Assembly approved a motion to arrest Kweon on Thursday.

By law, sitting lawmakers are immune from arrest while parliament is in session and can only be put under arrest with consent from the National Assembly.

Min's team has been investigating bribery allegations surrounding the Unification Church as part of its corruption investigation into former first lady Kim Keon Hee, Yoon's wife.

Yonhap