The prosecution on Thursday raided printing and advertising companies suspected of offering a rebate to a lawmaker as part of the probe into election law violations.

The Western District Prosecutors’ Office did not specify which locations were searched and what items were seized through the raid.

The raid came after the National Election Commission filed a complaint against Rep. Kim Soo-min of the third-largest People’s Party for alleged election law violations.
The commission also filed a complaint against the party’s Rep. Park Seon-sook, who was in charge of accounting during the campaign period, Wang Joo-hyeon, vice secretary-general of the campaign, and heads of the printing and advertising firms.

Kim is suspected of granting business contracts related to her campaign to several companies in return for a rebate worth 178 million won ($154,000) during the 20th parliamentary election period.

She is also accused of planning to receive illegal campaign funds worth 238 million won in advance by falsifying tax receipts.

Kim is the youngest lawmaker in the new Assembly, and was elected as a proportional representative.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)