Police raided the National Assembly Secretariat on Friday in a probe over a committee chairperson’s acceptance of cash gifts for her daughter’s wedding despite concerns of conflict of interest, authorities said. Rep. Choi Min-hee of the ruling Democratic Party came under scrutiny after she held her daughter’s wedding at the National Assembly during an annual parliamentary audit period in October last year. The wedding drew criticism after it was revealed that she accepted cash gifts, reportedly as high as 1 million won ($682), from officials at government agencies and companies under her committee’s parliamentary oversight. Choi is the chair of the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee. In Korea, it is customary for wedding guests to give cash to the newlyweds as gifts. Following the controversy, Choi said she instructed her aides to return the money. The police raid came as authorities are investigating the case following a complaint filed by a civic group accusing the two-term lawmaker of power abuse and violating the Improper Solicitation and Graft
