The recent investigation by the Seoul police has uncovered that Kim Byeong-ki, a former member of the Democratic Party, appears to have canceled a defamation lawsuit against those who raised allegations of misuse of corporate cards and illegal political donations concerning his wife, in a bid to halt police investigations following the upcoming 2024 general election. Testimonies from Kim's former aide indicate he was advised by another ex-aide that dropping the lawsuit would allow the situation to be resolved without further inquiry, establishing a controversial connection between political maneuvering and law enforcement proceedings.

Initially, before the 2024 elections, Kim established a strong public stance by filing a lawsuit demanding prison sentences against former lawmaker Lee Su-jin and journalists who reported on the allegations. This legal action seemed to serve as a mechanism to obstruct an ethics committee investigation into claims made by former council members regarding corporate card use and political donations. Testimonies reveal that Kim's assertive response was strategically planned to delay potential investigations by the ethics committee due to his lawsuit.

However, after following advice from his former aide, Kim's withdrawal of the lawsuit after the elections created conditions for the police to close the inquiry without proceeding to formal investigations. Evidence indicating a planned cover-up might have been presented by the accused party, but due to the lawsuit’s cancellation, it was not submitted. Following the lawsuit's withdrawal, the local police ceased formal investigations after just four months, raising serious questions about the interplay between politics and legal processes in South Korea's governance.