Ssangbangul 'Salmon Booze Party' Allegation: Ruling, Opposition Parties Clash Over Site Inspection

A site inspection was conducted at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office to investigate the 'Salmon Alcohol Party' allegation that emerged from the Ssangbangul Group's North Korea remittance case. Ruling and opposition party members who participated in the inspection engaged in a fierce dispute over whether alcohol and food could have been brought in at the time.

Ruling party members focused on explaining the circumstances under which alcohol and food were brought into the prosecutors' office. They argued that it was possible to bring in soju between the time of the Ssangbangul corporate card payment and employee entry, and that clear indications of bringing items in existed, such as purchasing additional bottles of mineral water. Lee Gun-tae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, cited the fact that 'after initially buying three bottles of soju, three bottles of mineral water, and one pack of cigarettes, an additional bottle of soju was purchased because the mineral water bottles were not full' as evidence that the allegations were proven. He also raised the possibility of a drinking party with Lee Hwa-young, former Gyeonggi Province Deputy Governor for Peace, and Kim Sung-tae, former chairman of Ssangbangul, in the video recording room next to the prosecutor's office, adding that the space could accommodate 5 to 6 people.

Opposition lawmakers countered that it was chronologically impossible. The defense attorney testified that he visited the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office around 7 PM but could not smell anything. The opposition lawmakers pointed to the plausibility of the scenario based on this testimony, emphasizing the unreasonableness of the claims and even bringing up ventilation in the sealed space.