DP floor leader resigns as police investigate criminal complaints involving him and his family
Published: 30 Dec. 2025, 19:18
![Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-kee speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 30. [LIM HYUN-DONG]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/30/751fdbac-31db-42bc-b6cb-48b26aeb7d69.jpg)
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-kee speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 30. [LIM HYUN-DONG]
Kim Byung-kee resigned as floor leader of the Democratic Party (DP) on Tuesday amid mounting legal scrutiny, with police investigating at least six criminal complaints involving him and his family.
Kim Tae-woo, the former mayor of Gangseo District in western Seoul, filed a criminal complaint with the police against Kim Byung-kee on Monday.
He accused Kim Byung-kee of obstruction of business. Kim Tae-woo also filed a complaint against DP lawmaker Kang Sun-woo for bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes and violations of the Political Funds Act.
The complaint centers on allegations that Rep. Kang, while serving on the DP’s Seoul branch nomination committee during the 2022 local elections, received 100 million won ($70,000) from a Seoul Metropolitan Council candidate.
Kim Byung-kee, who served as secretary of the committee, was allegedly informed but took no action. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said it will review the case.
The Seoul Seocho Police Precinct also on Monday received a criminal complaint against Kim Byung-kee's eldest son, an employee at the National Intelligence Service.
![Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-kee heads to the main chamber of the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 30. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/30/d408760b-0127-49af-a938-b3e83f1a18e5.jpg)
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-kee heads to the main chamber of the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 30. [YONHAP]
Kim Byung-kee's eldest son reportedly used his father's status to verify diplomatic intelligence that Hanwha was arranging travel for the Indonesian president-elect. The National Intelligence Service has reportedly opened an internal audit into the matter.
On Sunday, police also received a complaint accusing Kim Byung-kee’s wife of misusing public funds during her tenure as vice chairperson of the Dongjak District Council.
![Rep. Kang Sun-woo of the Democratic Party attends the first plenary session of the 428th National Assembly at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 21. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/30/4d5cc2b2-040f-41d6-8d59-6ee4931c5785.jpg)
Rep. Kang Sun-woo of the Democratic Party attends the first plenary session of the 428th National Assembly at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on June 21. [NEWS1]
Separate allegations include a complaint filed at the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Precinct on Friday that Kim Byung-kee, while serving on the National Assembly’s Land Infrastructure and Transport Committee in 2024, accepted free accommodations from Korean Air.
In September, a civic group filed a criminal complaint with the Seoul Dongjak Police Precinct, alleging that Kim Byung-kee intervened in his younger son's transfer process to Soongsil University. Kim Byung-kee was questioned as a witness to the case last month. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials also assigned the case to its third investigative division.
His former aides also filed a criminal complaint accusing him of violating the information and communications network act.
On Thursday, Kim Byiung-kee posted screenshots from a group chat on social media, claiming he dismissed six aides after discovering that they had shared illicit photos of a female district council member in the Telegram chat. The aides, however, accused him of unlawfully obtaining the conversation.
![Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, center, exits the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 30. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/30/849a40e7-551c-41e6-8f71-cffd2e53cf9e.jpg)
Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, center, exits the National Assembly in western Seoul on Dec. 30. [YONHAP]
Additional allegations are surfacing, increasing the chances of more criminal complaints being filed against Kim Byung-kee.
Unverified claims allege that he asked crypto trading platform Bithumb to hire his younger son and, in return, used his position in the National Assembly to criticize Bithumb's rival Upbit.
He also allegedly had an expensive meal with Park Dae-jun, the former CEO of Coupang, and later pressured the company to disadvantage his former aide who joined Coupang.
Police stations across Seoul have received complaints, but given the scale of the allegations, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency may step in to consolidate and lead the investigation.
“Investigations are underway at the police stations where the cases were filed,” said Park Jeong-bo, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Monday. “We need to determine whether to bring them to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.”
Civic groups that filed the complaints are calling for a “swift and thorough investigation.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JEONG-JAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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