“There was a legislative lobby”… Kim Nam-guk’s ‘6 billion coin’ controversy spreads through the gate

It was confirmed that 10 out of 17 virtual assets that Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-guk, a party to the ‘6 billion coin’ controversy, directly purchased over the past year were in the game and non-fungible token (NFT) sector. Amid testimony that there was extensive legislative lobbying for the P2E (Play to Earn) game policy during the presidential election last year, the Democratic Party fact-finding team plans to look into the background of Congressman Kim’s intensive purchase of virtual assets in the game and NFT sectors. . P2E games are games that reward virtual assets or NFTs.

On the 12th, the Segye Ilbo analyzed the purchase status of the virtual asset wallet ‘Clip’, which was specified as owned by Congressman Kim. Including Netmarble’s Mabrex (MBX), PIBl (PIB), Treasure Planet (BOMUL), GemHub (GHUB), Zathera (ZTC), and ZEMIT (ZEMIT), a total of seven virtual assets were directly purchased. appear. All of these are virtual assets issued by domestic companies, and are expected to benefit from the easing of P2E game regulations.

During the same period, there was also a history of buying a total of three types of NFT-related virtual assets, such as Mekongcoin (MKC), Compass (COM), and AZIT issued by ‘Like a Handsome Lion’. Rep. Kim planned to launch the ‘Lee Jae-myung Fund’ using NFTs in February of last year, during his presidential election. Deputy Secretary General Kim Byeong-gi, head of the fact-finding team of the Democratic Party, said, “I think we need to check” about the background of Congressman Kim’s purchase of virtual assets. In this regard, companies such as Wemade, Netmarble, and Handsome Lion are all in the position that they have nothing to do with Congressman Kim.

It is reported that the investigation team reported that Congressman Kim received some virtual assets in the way of ‘airdrop’ (providing new virtual assets free of charge for publicity purposes) last year at the party’s supreme committee meeting that day. As a result of the actual Segye Ilbo analysis, it was confirmed that Congressman Kim received around 100 of each of 9 types of virtual assets in 9 out of 15 airdrops conducted in the airdrop service ‘Clay Swap Drops’. In the case of the MOOI received in August of last year, the amount was 41, and it was only about 14,000 won based on the listing price. An industry insider said, “The airdrop is small compared to the amount of funds held, so there seems to be nothing suspicious about it.”

It was confirmed that Congressman Kim sold and bought a total of 910 virtual assets during the same period. This is an average of more than two transactions per day, and in the case of February 16 last year, there was a history of selling and buying as many as 29 times. Rep. Kim also traded virtual assets during the National Assembly Standing Committee meeting. During the hearing of the then Minister of Justice candidate Han Dong-hoon, which was held from around 10:00 am on May 9 last year to around 3:30 am the next day, 5 sales and 7 purchases were made. On November 7 last year, when the opposition party criticized the Itaewon disaster, a total of 4 transactions were made at 6:50 pm for about 3 minutes just before the meeting. Rep. Kim met with reporters that day and only replied that he was “confirming” the suspicion. Regarding the suspicion of P2E game legislative lobbying or the unclear source of investment money, he replied, “There is no money that has fallen from the sky or rolled in (in investment money).”

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung gave an urgent order to inspect the party’s ethics inspection team on suspicion of virtual asset trading during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee of Congressman Kim on this day. It seems that the move is a result of a heightened sense of crisis within the party as the approval rating of young people in their 20s and 30s plummeted due to this controversy. Gyeonggi Governor Kim Dong-yeon said in a special lecture at Chosun University that day, “Recently, while seeing that money envelopes are coins, even morality, the symbol capital of progressives and the Democratic Party, is shaken and is facing a desperate crisis.”

There are also signs that this controversy will go beyond Congressman Kim’s personal problems and escalate to ‘Coin Gate’. People’s Power Rep. Ha Tae-gyeong said on Facebook that day that there was actually a P2E game legislative lobby during the presidential election. As there were testimonies that there was extensive legislative lobbying against the National Assembly around the time of the presidential election, it seems necessary to conduct a complete virtual asset investigation targeting all members of the National Assembly.

However, both the ruling and opposition leaders showed a lukewarm attitude toward the plan for a complete enumeration that day. The Power of the People Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader, met with reporters that day and said, “I do not oppose the full investigation, but it can dilute the problem of Congressman Nam-guk Kim.” Kwon Chil-seung, chief spokesman for the Democratic Party, said, “Since virtual assets are not a real-name trading system, there are opinions (in the leadership) that show prudence about how to effectively disclose them.”

Meanwhile, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency assigned the case of accusation against Congressman Kim related to the suspicion of virtual assets to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station.

Reporters Ahn Seung-jin, Kim Seung-hwan, Kim Hyun-woo, and Jeong Ji-hye

[ⓒ 세계일보 & Segye.com, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]