The police have decided not to appeal the charges that President Yun Seok-yeol's wife, Kim Kun-hee, paid lecture fees to Lee Myung-soo, a reporter for Seoul's Voice, for the election of President Yoon.
The anti-corruption and public crime investigation unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on the 10th that it had dismissed the charges against Mrs. Kim, who was accused of violating the Public Official Election Act (bribery for illegal use of broadcasting and newspapers), saying there was insufficient evidence.
The police said in the decision not to send, "The fact that Mrs. Kim said that she would pay Mr. Lee 1.05 million won in the name of her lecture fee, and that she would give 100 million won if we work together is acknowledged."
However, he explained the reason for the refusal by stating, "Mr. Lee started a phone call with Mrs. Kim to cover the case of Mrs. Kim's mother, and that Mr. Lee first mentioned the election and led the conversation."
In addition, he said that he could not find any concrete evidence that Mr. Lee's lecture was actually held and that "there are no clues to determine the reason, such as election campaigns or camp joining before or after the mention of paying 100 million won."
The explanation is that there was no evidence to show that Mrs. Kim expressed her intention to pay 1,050,000 won and 100 million won to Lee in order to either make a favorable report for the election of President Yoon, or to avoid the report.
Earlier in January, a civic group submitted a complaint to the Central Prosecutor's Office, accusing Mrs. Kim of violating the Election Act by offering money to Mrs.