Kim Young-sun, By-election Winner, Says in Recording "Anyway, I Benefited from Myeong Tae-gyun" [2024 National Audit]

Acknowledgment of Myung Tae-gyun's Influence in Nomination Process
Nomination Suspicion in Exchange for Conducting Presidential Polls
"Mentally Preoccupied Borrowing Money Everywhere" Statement

Former lawmaker Kim Young-seon’s recorded statement claiming that Myung Tae-gyun exerted influence during his nomination process was released on the 21st. He was elected after receiving the People Power Party’s nomination in the June 2022 by-election for the Changwon Chang district in Gyeongnam.

Kim Young-sun, former member of the People Power Party [Image source=Yonhap News]

Myung is a key figure in the allegations of Kim Geon-hee’s interference in the nomination process. It is alleged that after conducting a favorable opinion poll for then-presidential candidate Yoon Seok-yeol in March 2022 ahead of the presidential election, he secured Kim’s nomination as a reward.

According to a phone call recording on May 23 last year between former lawmaker Kim and his accounting manager Kang Hye-kyung, Kim said, "From my perspective, I benefited from Myung Tae-gyun anyway." In response, Kang claimed in the recording, "We conducted many internal surveys during the presidential election," and added, "The head (Myung) told me to prepare an invoice saying he would bring money from Kim Geon-hee."

Kang also said, "Myung said, ‘I will definitely bring the money,’ and went to Seoul, but after that, there was no word until he said, ‘I conducted the presidential opinion poll and, as a result, secured the lawmaker’s (Kim’s) nomination.’" The recording also includes Kim’s remarks that suggest he was troubled by Myung’s demand for monetary compensation in exchange for securing the nomination.

In the same day’s call, Kim said, "Anyway, Manager Myung is asking me to pay some more," and added, "So I’m completely overwhelmed trying to borrow money here and there."

The April 3 recording of a call between Myung and Kang last year also mentions Lee Jun-seok, who was then the leader of the People Power Party, in relation to Kim’s strategic nomination. According to the recording, Myung said, "Yesterday, I pleaded with (Lee) Jun-seok and got the strategic nomination," and added, "(Kim) said if I provide a few opinion polls showing Kim Ji-soo (the then Democratic Party candidate for the Changwon Chang by-election) losing, it would be perfect."

In a call with Kang one day earlier, Myung also said, "Lee Jun-seok said, ‘If you bring me a public or non-public poll showing Kim Ji-soo losing, I’ll give you the strategic nomination,’" and added, "Don’t we need to make a lot of phone calls?"

This can be interpreted as an instruction to produce ‘tailored’ opinion polls through the polling company he operated, the Future Korea Research Institute, to hand over to Lee.

Meanwhile, on April 22 of the same year, Myung suggested in a call with Kang that he had contacted Yoon Sang-hyun, then the People Power Party’s by-election nomination management committee chairman, to secure Kim’s nomination. Myung said during the call, "People were all against Kim Young-seon, and Yoon Sang-hyun reacted very negatively," and added, "Even if they hate me, what can I do? Anyway, I have to try to make it happen."

In the recording, Myung also claimed in a call with Kang on May 10, 2022, the day before the People Power Party announced Kim’s nomination, that he had called President Yoon Seok-yeol to assert that he had pushed through the nomination. Myung said in the call, "I called the president, and he said, ‘I decided on Kim Young-seon,’" and added, "Don’t spread rumors. It will be announced tomorrow morning."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.