[Exclusive] 'No Reason' Kim Young-sun and 'Knee Pain' Myung Tae-kyun... 10 Witnesses Absent from Public Administration Committee

Only 5 Absence Excuse Letters Submitted
Companion Summons Issued at Last National Audit Session

It has been confirmed that 10 witnesses, including former lawmaker Kim Young-seon and Mr. Myeong Tae-gyun, did not attend the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee’s comprehensive audit related to allegations of election interference by the Presidential Office.

Former lawmaker Kim Young-sun and Mr. Myeong Tae-gyun.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

According to the attendance status of general witnesses and reference persons at the Public Administration and Security Committee’s national audit on the 25th, 10 out of 18 people did not attend. Among them, five individuals?including former lawmaker Kim, related to the Presidential Office election interference allegations; Kim Tae-young and Lee Seung-man, representatives of 21gram, related to illegal extension of the Presidential residence; Kim Ryang-young, adjunct professor of dance at Chungnam National University and executive director of Cobana Contents; and former senior administrative officer Kang Ki-hoon of the Presidential Office, related to allegations of covering up a drunk driving disciplinary action?did not submit reasons for their absence.

Mr. Myeong, who is accused of election interference by the Presidential Office, submitted a reason for absence citing knee joint disease. Presidential Office administrative officers Yoo Kyung-ok and Jeong Ji-won notified that they would not attend due to security matters concerning the President and First Lady. Lee Myung-soon, president of Seoul Guarantee Insurance, and Hwang Hyo-jin, Incheon City Global City Political Affairs Deputy Mayor, stated they had official overseas business trips scheduled.

Earlier, the Public Administration and Security Committee issued accompaniment orders for former lawmaker Kim, Mr. Myeong, and the 21gram representatives, but these were not enforced. The Democratic Party of Korea summoned former lawmaker Kim and Mr. Myeong as witnesses on the 10th for the national audit, intending to question them about allegations of Kim Geon-hee’s interference in the People Power Party’s general election nominations. However, both did not appear, and the accompaniment orders were not delivered as they were not at home that day. Shin Jeong-hoon, chair of the Public Administration and Security Committee, criticized, "Despite being key witnesses to uncover the Presidential Office’s election interference allegations, they did not attend," adding, "While they can refuse to take an oath and testify citing ongoing investigations, they cannot refuse to appear altogether."

On the 7th, the Public Administration and Security Committee approved an accompaniment order for the representative of 21gram, a company involved in the construction of the Presidential residence in Hannam-dong. Opposition party lawmakers visited the 21gram office in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, to observe the enforcement of the accompaniment order. Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Geon-young said, "They have already fled," and added, "We will chase them to the ends of the earth, bring them as witnesses, and reveal the truth."

Under current law, witnesses summoned for a national audit who fail to attend without justifiable reasons may face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 10 million won. Those who refuse accompaniment orders or deliberately evade receipt of such orders may face imprisonment of up to five years.