Rep. Kim Gi-hyeon and Ruling Party Demand Investigation Expansion
Former Moon Government Officials Resist... Emphasizing Innocence Parts
Regarding the first trial verdict on the 'Ulsan mayoral election interference' allegations involving the Moon Jae-in administration's Blue House, key ruling party figures including Kim Gi-hyeon, leader of the People Power Party, targeted former President Moon Jae-in, prompting officials from the Moon administration to counter, saying, "Are you trying to make another (political) deal again?"
Im Jong-seok, former Chief of Staff at the Blue House under the Moon Jae-in administration, stated on his social media (SNS) on the 30th, "Leader Kim is trying to make another deal regarding the Ulsan mayoral election interference allegations. He even drags former President Moon into it, claiming the Blue House interfered in the election. To conclude, such a thing never happened," he asserted.
Im's rebuttal came after Kim Gi-hyeon mentioned the trial results of the 'Ulsan mayoral election interference' allegations during the People Power Party's Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning, saying, "It is common sense to see former President Moon as being behind all these proceedings," and emphasized, "There must be an unreserved investigation into former President Moon to hold him legally accountable."
Following the court's first trial sentencing of three years imprisonment for Hwang Un-ha, a Democratic Party lawmaker, and Song Cheol-ho, former Ulsan mayor, both indicted on the 'Ulsan mayoral election interference' allegations, ruling party figures have been stressing the need for investigation into former President Moon. Seong Il-jong, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on his SNS, "Investigative agencies must investigate former President Moon, who was the top official responsible for state affairs at the time, along with Blue House aides, regarding this enormous national scandal."
However, former Chief of Staff Im insisted there was no Blue House election interference. He said, "The Blue House Senior Secretary for Political Affairs causing other candidates within the party to lose or the Blue House Policy Office providing policy support to a specific Democratic Party candidate were all acquitted. The prosecution should apologize for this," adding, "It was already revealed during the investigation that there were no reports to the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs or the Chief of Staff."
He explained, "The actual facts of the parts the court judged as guilty are as follows: An administrative officer from the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, who was a former investigator, received corruption intelligence about Kim Gi-hyeon, then Ulsan mayor, and organized it to report to Secretary Baek Won-woo. Secretary Baek judged it was not within his jurisdiction and passed it to the Anti-Corruption Secretary, who simply forwarded it to the relevant agency, the Police Agency's Special Investigation Division. The Blue House never directed this investigation," he emphasized.
He added, "Leader Kim, who must be aware of these circumstances, is dishonestly framing this again as organized election interference," and said, "If this is an attempt to exert influence over the police and prosecution, it is even more dreadful." Former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, who served under the Moon administration, also shared Im's post on SNS.
Former Democratic Party lawmaker Shin Kyung-min also said on YTN's 'The News' that day, "Of course, the first trial verdict must be taken seriously. However, Leader Kim keeps talking about the higher-ups, including former Minister Cho and former President Moon, but this part has been acquitted," and pointed out, "So while he can make claims, there is currently no basis for them."
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