A Seoul court is set to decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for a key figure in an illegal political fund scandal involving a number of main opposition Democratic Party(DP) members.

Appearing for the warrant hearing at the Seoul Central District Court at around 10:30 a.m., Kang Rae-gu, the head of the Institute of Internal Auditors Korea, said he would faithfully attend the court review.

Asked about an audio file appearing to support the allegations, Kang said there will be a time to explain his position, but kept mum when asked whether former DP chair Song Young-gil was aware of the illegal funds.

Kang, along with DP Rep. Youn Kwan-suk and former DP Deputy Secretary General Lee Jung-geun, are accused of colluding ahead of the 2021 party convention to distribute illicit political funds to those with voting rights to ensure Song's victory as party chief.

Out of the illegal funds, Kang is suspected of securing 80 million won from businesspeople, of which 60 million won was delivered to up to 20 party members through Youn, while the other 34 million won was allegedly given to officials involved in regional campaigns.

Kang, a former standing auditor of the Korea Water Resources Corporation, or K-water,  is also accused of receiving bribes totaling three million won in September 2020 from a businessperson through Le, in return for business favors in a project under K-water.