Introduced Himself as a 'Planner'
Claims Continued Contact After Presidential Primary
Also Says He Was Offered a Job at the Presidential Office
Myeong Taekyun, a key figure in the controversy over Kim Geonhee's interference in candidate selection, appeared on CBS Radio on the 14th to directly clarify the allegations against him. Introducing himself as a "person who arranges the stage," Myeong said he frequently communicated with President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife via speakerphone before the presidential election. He also claimed to have "arranged the stage" during the 2021 Seoul mayoral primary. While describing himself as a "shadow" figure, he insisted that "everything gets overturned when I speak," asserting that he played an important role.
In particular, Myeong showed a dual stance regarding his relationship with President Yoon and Mrs. Kim. While calling it "disrespectful behavior" to mention him as someone involved in current state affairs, he criticized Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party who raised suspicions of exaggeration, and Chief Secretary Jeong Jin-seok by saying things like, "Have they ever been to Kobana Contents?" and "Have they ever been to the Acro Vista presidential residence?"
Regarding his first meeting with President Yoon, he revealed, "Since I made Mayor Oh Se-hoon and (then People Power Party leader primary winner) Lee Jun-seok, Yoon's side came looking for me," adding, "The first meeting was on June 18, 2021." He said meetings continued frequently until the presidential election campaign officially began. Myeong stated that he was in frequent contact with the presidential couple for about six months, saying, "I would get calls in the morning on speakerphone," and "Both of them (President Yoon and his wife) listened together." He mentioned, "President Yoon said he had never seen anyone speak as generously as Dr. Myeong (referring to himself) and liked it."
A legislative investigator from the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee visited the residence of Mr. Myeong Tae-gyun in Changwon, Gyeongnam, on the afternoon of the 10th to execute a summons, and is seen conversing with Mr. Myeong's family. [Image source=Yonhap News]
He also indirectly acknowledged that contact continued even after the People Power Party primary. He said, "(Even after the primary) I kept going there (the presidential residence)," and "They needed someone to play a role between President Yoon and Representative Lee, so I met them."
Myeong revealed anecdotes suggesting his significant role in the presidential election. He claimed, "On November 3, 2021, Chairman Kim said, 'Just act well,' but that was originally my phrase." He advised that Mrs. Kim asked, "How is my brother doing now?" and said that for a popular actress to win Best Actress, there must be an excellent director, a great producer, a script, then investors and distributors. He explained, "The investors and distributors I mentioned were the People Power Party, the director was Kim Jong-in, the producer was Lee Jun-seok, and I wrote the script. The candidate just had to 'act well.'" He designed the behind-the-scenes stage for the presidential election. Myeong claimed, "When President Yoon met me, he had zero intention of joining the People Power Party."
He confirmed that he met on behalf of President Yoon's side during the unification process with Assemblyman Ahn Cheol-soo (then the People Party presidential candidate). He said at a meeting with Professor Choi Jin-seok, who was then the campaign chairman for Ahn's side, "Didn't I hand the phone over to Professor Choi (to speak with President Yoon)?" Regarding the timing of President Yoon's party entry, he said, "The presidential couple called to ask about the date of joining," and "I don't know if it was because I told them, but it is true that he joined immediately after I informed them."
On this day, Myeong claimed that he exerted broad influence not only on the presidential couple but also in political circles.
For example, he said he arranged a meeting between Mayor Hong Joon-pyo of Daegu, who was in trouble due to the Donghwa Bank incident, and former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in. Myeong said, "I arranged and attended a reconciliation meeting between Chairman Kim and Mayor Hong after 30 years." He also mentioned that he "arranged the stage" during the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election. Myeong said, "If Representative Ahn Cheol-soo (currently an assemblyman) had stayed quiet then, he would have been the Seoul mayor." This implies that he played a role behind Oh Se-hoon's victory in the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election. Additionally, he said he met with Assemblywoman Cho Eun-hee, who ran for Seoul mayor as Seocho District Mayor at the time, and said, "If you talk in numbers, Representative Na Kyung-won couldn't say anything," adding, "(In the debate) Representative Na was completely crushed." He designed the opportunity for Oh's biggest rival in the Seoul mayoral race to collapse. Regarding Gyeonggi Province Superintendent of Education Lim Tae-hee, he claimed, "I was the one who looked at his resume."
Myeong introduced that after the presidential election victory, Mrs. Kim suggested he join the presidential office together. However, he denied being offered a position in the transition team, saying, "They asked me to come to the transition team to interview people," and "Would they ask a teacher to work in the transition team?" implying that he was not qualified to work there.
Regarding the leak of 560,000 party members and the subsequent opinion poll, he said, "I have nothing to do with it," and "I helped a bit with the business of the company that conducted the poll, but it was connected through a camp official of Mayor Hong. I don't know if the party member list was handed over by Mayor Hong's side."
However, political circles still expressed skepticism about Myeong's role. Former People Power Party Assemblyman Lee Sang-min said on YTN Radio, "I don't know how great a person he is, but I don't think he has that position or power," and "Those within the ruling party who had problems with what Myeong has done must hold responsibility." Shin Ji-ho, Deputy Head of Strategy and Planning for the People Power Party, said on MBC Radio, "Much of it seems to be his bluff," and "He is a broker and a swindler, and about 70-80% of his stories seem absurd to me," but also said, "I have a feeling he might have been involved in some parts," and "We need to quickly verify the facts to dispel unnecessary misunderstandings."
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