SEOUL CITY COUNCILLOR RESIGNS OVER BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS

SEOUL, Jan 26 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- A Seoul city councillor said Monday she will resign over allegations she bribed a lawmaker to win a nomination for her councillorship ahead of the 2022 local elections, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Kim Kyung stated her intention in a statement released by her lawyer, saying she submitted her letter of resignation to the chair of the Seoul Metropolitan Council earlier in the day.

Kim is under police investigation for allegedly giving 100 million won (US$69,300) to Rep. Kang Sun-woo, who recently left the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and became an independent, in exchange for the party's nomination of her for the councillorship.

"Regarding the controversial offering of 100 million won to Representative Kang Sun-woo, I feel heavy responsibility for having failed to uphold the ethical duties of a public official," she said in the statement. "It was my mistake, and I will not make any excuses."

Kim went on to say she will continue to faithfully comply with all investigations, uncover the truth and receive the legal punishment matching her wrongdoing.

The scandal broke at the end of last month after a recording was disclosed in which Kang could be heard discussing the money with then DP Rep. Kim Byung-kee.

Kim Byung-kee resigned as floor leader the next day to take responsibility for that and other allegations of misconduct surrounding him and his family.

Police have also launched a separate investigation into allegations the city councillor conspired to give bribes for a nomination for the 2023 by-election for a Seoul district office chief.

Kim's resignation offer came a day before the Seoul Metropolitan Council was scheduled to open disciplinary proceedings against her. The meeting of the council's ethics committee will take place as scheduled at 5 pm. Tuesday, an official of the committee said.

Kim likely would have faced expulsion, and councillors of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) accused her of making a "cowardly" decision to resign before she could be kicked out of the council.

Unlike expulsion, resignation does not go into a councillor's disciplinary record.

The PPP councillors insisted Kim must pay the price and demanded an arrest warrant for her, along with a thorough investigation into Kim's allegations and an apology from the DP for Seoul residents.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP