"Allegation of Involvement in Handonghun's Close Associate Nomination"
Full text of the text message Kim Geon-hee sent to Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party leader candidate (then Emergency Committee Chairman), in January was revealed, and Jang Ye-chan, former senior youth committee member of the People Power Party, claimed, "The text from Mrs. Kim mentioned a 'comment team,'" adding, "Han candidate had a separate team managing public opinion since his time as Minister of Justice."
Jang, considered a pro-Yoon faction figure, said on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 9th, "I don't know if Han candidate was directly aware," but added, "There was definitely a team, and I am only speaking from what I have personally seen, heard, and experienced."
The full text of the message Mrs. Kim sent to Han candidate was disclosed through media reports such as TV Chosun the previous day. Between January 15 and 25, Mrs. Kim expressed her intention to apologize five times regarding the luxury bag bribery allegations, but Han candidate did not reply. Han explained that he judged private communication inappropriate while discussions between the party and government were ongoing through official channels, so he did not respond.
In particular, the fourth message sent on January 23 included the word "comment team," sparking controversy. In this message, Mrs. Kim said, "I heard recently that I am using a comment team to slander the chairman and those around him," adding, "We have been comrades through life-and-death journeys, so I am ashamed even to have suspected that a slight difference in tone could justify attacking the other."
Regarding this, former senior committee member Jang claimed, "This comment team is connected to a specific person who interfered with candidate nominations," adding, "I cannot reveal the real name now, but they are still connected to Han candidate." He also said, "I clearly know that some close aides, not the nomination committee members, were involved in the verification and selection process of proportional representation candidates."
On Han candidate not replying to Mrs. Kim's messages, Jang said, "There are only two hypotheses," interpreting, "The first is political incompetence, as many senior politicians have pointed out." He continued, "The second is that he deliberately tolerated the demonization of the First Lady to differentiate himself from President Yoon Seok-yeol," arguing, "This controversy could even spread to suggest that he used the First Lady's intention to apologize as a scapegoat or sacrifice for his own presidential ambitions."
Jang criticized, "When Pastor Choi Jae-young's luxury bag gift became known, the person who made it an issue was Kim Kyung-yul, an emergency committee member connected to Han candidate," adding, "They used him to make it an issue and acted as if it would be a big problem if there was no apology, but behind the scenes, even when an apology was offered, there was no response."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
