'Kim Gun-hee 7-Hour Call' Recording... Go Min-jung "Let's Release Unedited Version" vs Heo Eun-ah "Lee's Insults Should Also Be Opened"

Heo Eun-ah "If private calls are edited and released, anyone can be made a devil or a fool"
Goh Min-jeong "If you have no fear, it's natural to disclose"

Ko Min-jung, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Amid escalating controversy surrounding the 7-hour-long recorded phone conversation of Kim Gun-hee, spouse of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, Go Min-jung, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "Let's release the (recording) unedited and in full." In response, Heo Eun-ah, a member of the People Power Party, retorted, "Then disclose all of Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party candidate's abusive remarks as well."

On the 13th, Representative Heo appeared on MBC Radio's 'Pyo Chang-won's News High Kick' and said, "We define this issue as an illegal recording manipulation suspicion," adding, "A YouTube media reporter began recording phone calls starting from July last year, which was when Yoon's entry into the People Power Party was becoming visible. It appears to have been a planned approach targeting a family member of a prominent conservative party presidential candidate from the outset."

She continued, "Ms. Kim is a woman who has lived as a public official's wife and a businesswoman," and criticized, "Isn't this using a politically naive person as bait for political sabotage? This is as despicable as 'do-chwal' (secret filming) or wiretapping."

She also pointed out, "The reporter who recorded it is not the one releasing the original file. The file was handed over to a broadcasting station in a tip-off format. Moreover, it is known that what is being released is an edited version," adding, "Isn't it common for politicians' refined remarks to be easily ridiculed or distorted through editing? If such private conversations are edited and released, it could easily turn someone into a demon or a fool."

Representative Heo emphasized, "From this perspective, I see a double political sabotage involving both illegality and manipulation underway, and if this is truly broadcast, I want to clearly state that there could be significant violations of broadcasting ethics and election interference."

Heo Eun-ah, member of the People Power Party. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Listening to this, Representative Go said, "Then release it unedited and in full," adding, "I am very curious about what is in the 7-hour-long recorded phone conversation. No matter how much the person is not just a politician but an ordinary person, if there is so much to hide, it only makes me more curious."

She continued, "If there is nothing to fear, it is only natural to disclose it. And wasn't the People Power Party the one who raised their voice more than anyone else about the public's right to know during the Media Arbitration Act? Now is the time to consistently request disclosure for the public's right to know," she pointed out.

Then Representative Heo countered, "I understand that editing and releasing Lee's abusive remarks toward his sister-in-law is a violation of election law. If it is not a problem, then the entire thing from start to finish should be heard," she said.

In response, Representative Go said, "At that time, the Liberty Korea Party (now People Power Party) had released it on their homepage. So I am saying to release it this time as well," and Representative Heo said, "Releasing (the recording) from start to finish is not a problem under election law, but editing and releasing it is a problem under election law. What I am saying now is that it is not the person themselves opening it, but handing it over to a broadcaster to edit and report it, which can be misunderstood as political sabotage."

Representative Go said, "Anyway, you are not completely opposed to disclosure," and Representative Heo replied, "Then Lee's remarks should be opened and shown together."