Police question lawmaker Kim Jae-seop on audit opening day over Cancún trip claims
Version 3: Kim Jae-seop appeared at police and denied any falsehood in his remarks, the People Power Party escalated its political-investigation claims, and outlets reported a dispute over whether the Oct. 6 date was requested by Kim’s side or set by police.
In short
Seoul police questioned Rep. Kim Jae-seop of the People Power Party as a suspect from 10 a.m. on Oct. 6, the first day of the National Assembly audit, over allegations about former Seoul mayoral candidate Chung Won-oh’s 2023 trip to Cancún, Mexico. Kim told reporters his remarks contained no falsehood and called the questioning political oppression. The People Power Party denounced the summons as a political investigation timed to the audit, while outlets reported a dispute over whether the Oct. 6 date was requested by Kim’s side or set by police.
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Seoul police questioned Rep. Kim Jae-seop of the People Power Party as a suspect from 10 a.m. on Oct. 6, the first day of the National Assembly audit, over allegations about former Seoul mayoral candidate Chung Won-oh’s 2023 trip to Cancún, Mexico. Kim appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s wide-area investigation unit in Mapo-gu at about 9:29 a.m., Newsis, Kyunghyang Shinmun and Maeil Business reported. He faces charges including false statement of fact and slander of a candidate under the Public Official Election Act; Hankook Ilbo also cited defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. Chosun Ilbo reported it was the first suspect summons of an opposition lawmaker since the prosecution’s abolition. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 18 , 23 , 26 , 30 ]
Before the questioning, Kim said his remarks contained no falsehood and called the investigation political oppression. Newsis and Kyunghyang Shinmun quoted him calling it “clear political oppression and the regime’s blatant killing of Kim Jae-seop.” He said he had relied on concrete and credible materials, and rejected Chung’s explanation that a gender entry was a simple mistake as an “absurd excuse,” saying that claim was itself false. [ 12 , 16 , 18 , 21 , 24 , 26 , 30 ]
The People Power Party denounced the questioning. Floor leader Chung Jeom-sik told a party meeting it was “a political investigation conducted thoroughly to fit the National Assembly audit schedule,” a “petty retaliatory investigation over the defeat in the Seoul mayoral election” and a “water-muddying investigation.” He said the party would respond strongly to what he called political policing against the opposition. People Power Party lawmakers on the National Assembly Political Affairs Committee also expressed strong regret and said opposition lawmakers were being sent to police while key government figures were not called to the audit. [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 , 20 , 22 , 25 , 30 ]
The case traces to Kim’s March 31 press conference, where he alleged that Chung, while Seongdong district mayor in 2023, travelled to Cancún with official Lim, that a trip review document recorded Lim’s gender as male, and that Lim was rehired at a higher grade. Chung rejected the allegations, saying Lim handled overseas affairs, Cancún was a transit point and the gender entry was a district office mistake. Complaints followed from Chung’s camp, Lim and the Democratic Party, and police are also examining complaints over Kim’s remarks about a 1995 assault case and a Facebook post about the Seosomun elevated road collapse. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 26 ]
The date of the questioning became a separate dispute. CBS NoCut News reported police initially notified Kim’s side of an Oct. 1 appearance but changed it to Oct. 6 at his lawyer’s request, while Newsis and Yonhap reported the date was not unilaterally designated by police. Maeil Business reported a police internal account that Kim chose the date; Kim’s office denied this, saying police demanded the earliest possible appearance and offered limited options. Kim’s office also said it requested a written investigation, which police rejected, while CBS NoCut News reported the lawyer only mentioned it. Chosun Ilbo reported the summons became a ruling-opposition clash in assembly committees. [ 18 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]
Why it matters
The questioning places a sitting lawmaker in a police interview room on the opening day of the parliamentary audit, and the opposition’s public denunciation turns a procedural step into a dispute over the timing of police work. The case stems from allegations raised during the run-up to the June 3 local elections and has already produced counter-complaints. The documents state no outcome of the investigation.
Key facts
- Seoul police questioned Rep. Kim Jae-seop as a suspect from 10 a.m. on Oct. 6, the first day of the National Assembly audit. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 26 , 30 ]
- Kim appeared at the Mapo-gu police building at about 9:29 a.m. and said there was no falsehood in his remarks. [ 16 , 18 , 26 , 30 ]
- He faces charges including false statement of fact and slander of a candidate under the Public Official Election Act; Hankook Ilbo also cited defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 16 , 24 , 26 ]
- The allegations stem from Kim’s March 31 press conference that Chung Won-oh, while Seongdong district mayor in 2023, traveled to Cancún with official Lim, that a trip review document recorded Lim’s gender as male, and that Lim was rehired at a higher grade. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 26 ]
- Chung rejected the allegations, saying Lim handled overseas affairs, Cancún was a transit point, and the gender entry was a district office mistake. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 26 ]
- People Power Party floor leader Chung Jeom-sik called the questioning a political investigation timed to the audit and a retaliatory investigation over the Seoul mayoral election defeat. [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 20 , 22 , 25 , 30 ]
- CBS NoCut News reported police initially notified Kim’s side of an Oct. 1 appearance but changed it to Oct. 6 at his lawyer’s request; Newsis and Yonhap reported the date was not unilaterally designated by police, and Kim’s office denied choosing the date. [ 18 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reported it was the first suspect summons of an opposition lawmaker since the prosecution’s abolition. [ 23 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Seoul police questioned Rep. Kim Jae-seop as a suspect from 10 a.m. on Oct. 6, the first day of the National Assembly audit. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 26 , 30 ]
- Kim faces charges including false statement of fact and slander of a candidate under the Public Official Election Act; Hankook Ilbo also cited defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 16 , 24 , 26 ]
- Kim appeared at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s wide-area investigation unit in Mapo-gu and said at about 9:29 a.m. that there was no falsehood in his remarks. [ 16 , 18 , 26 , 30 ]
- The allegations stem from Kim’s March 31 National Assembly press conference that Chung Won-oh, while Seongdong district mayor in 2023, traveled to Cancún with official Lim, that a trip review document recorded Lim’s gender as male, and that Lim was rehired at a higher grade. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 18 , 26 ]
- Chung rejected the allegations, saying Lim handled overseas affairs, Cancún was a transit point, and the gender entry was a district office mistake. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 18 , 24 , 26 ]
- People Power Party floor leader Chung Jeom-sik called the questioning a political investigation timed to the audit, a retaliatory investigation over the Seoul mayoral election defeat, and said the party would respond strongly. [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 20 , 22 , 25 , 30 ]
Still unclear
- Who determined the Oct. 6 appearance date. CBS NoCut News reported police initially notified Kim’s side of an Oct. 1 appearance but changed it to Oct. 6 at his lawyer’s request; Newsis and Yonhap reported the date was not unilaterally designated by police; Maeil Business reported a police internal account that Kim chose the date, while Kim’s office denied this and said police demanded the earliest possible date within limited options.
- Whether Kim’s side formally requested a written investigation. Maeil Business reported Kim’s office said it requested a written probe and police refused; CBS NoCut News reported the lawyer only mentioned it and made no official request.
- What the investigation and the complaints will conclude. The documents report only the questioning and the complaints, with no charges or conclusions.
- Chosun Ilbo’s statement that this was the first suspect summons of an opposition lawmaker since the prosecution’s abolition. The claim appears in a single outlet and is not corroborated by the other documents.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Kim Jae-seop will appear as a suspect before Seoul police on Oct. 6, the first day of the National Assembly audit (Oct. 5). [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports the Oct. 6 police questioning (Oct. 5). [ 2 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily reports the questioning and details the allegations and counter-complaints (Oct. 5). [ 3 ]
- Hankook Ilbo reports the charges and separate complaints (Oct. 5). [ 4 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports the planned suspect questioning (Oct. 5). [ 5 ]
- Kukmin Ilbo carries a headline that Kim will appear at the police (Oct. 6). [ 6 ]
- People Power Party floor leader Chung Jeom-sik calls the questioning a political investigation timed to the audit (Oct. 6). [ 8 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the summons and the People Power Party backlash (Oct. 6). [ 9 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports the party’s rejection of the summons (Oct. 6). [ 10 ]
- Kim arrives at the Mapo police building and tells reporters he faces political oppression and that his remarks contained no falsehood (Oct. 6). [ 16 , 18 , 26 , 30 ]
- Newsis reports in a flash that Kim has appeared as a suspect (Oct. 6). [ 11 ]
- Yonhap reports Kim’s police questioning and his remark that there was no falsehood (Oct. 6). [ 12 ]
- Police begin questioning Kim as a suspect (Oct. 6). [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 16 , 26 , 30 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports Kim’s appearance and that the date was not designated by police (Oct. 6). [ 18 ]
- Newsis and Asia Economy report the questioning and party reaction (Oct. 6). [ 20 , 21 ]
- Yonhap reports the People Power Party saying political police made a tribute to the Lee administration (Oct. 6). [ 22 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports it is the first suspect summons of an opposition lawmaker since prosecution abolition (Oct. 6). [ 23 ]
- Newsis reports the date was not unilaterally designated by police (Oct. 6). [ 26 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports police initially notified Kim’s side of an Oct. 1 appearance but changed it to Oct. 6 at his lawyer’s request (Oct. 6). [ 27 ]
- Yonhap reports police deny unilateral notice of the date (Oct. 6). [ 29 ]
- Maeil Business reports the scheduling dispute and Kim office denial (Oct. 6). [ 30 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the summons became a ruling-opposition clash in assembly committees (Oct. 6). [ 31 ]