Yoon's "Tell Kim Young-sun to do it" remark, private conversation between signatures... no explicit mention

Kim Sang-hoon, Chairman of Policy Committee of the People Power Party

Kim Sang-hoon, the Policy Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, said on the 31st regarding the phone call between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Mr. Myeong Tae-gyun, which was disclosed by the Democratic Party of Korea, "It seems that there was no explicit mention of giving a nomination." He also described the conversation between President Yoon and Mr. Myeong at the time as "a private conversation, not an official one."

Chairman Kim made these remarks during a meeting with reporters at the National Assembly Communication Office on the same day. He said, "That day (May 9, 2022) was the day before the inauguration, and there were countless calls," adding, "Even looking at the conversation, it seems that the president-elect did not explicitly mention giving a nomination." He further conveyed the atmosphere by saying, "Regarding the conversation with Mr. Myeong, it was such an ordinary matter that I understand he probably does not remember it."

Kim Sang-hoon, Chairman of the Policy Committee of the People Power Party, is speaking at the party floor countermeasure meeting held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the morning of the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, held an emergency press conference to disclose the phone call between President Yoon and Mr. Myeong, raising suspicions of nomination trading. According to the transcript released by Floor Leader Park, in the call with Mr. Myeong on May 9, 2022, the day before the inauguration, President Yoon said, "The nomination committee brought it to me, so I said, 'Kim Young-seon worked hard during the primary, so let Kim Young-seon handle that (nomination).'" Regarding this, Floor Leader Park claimed, "This is irrefutable evidence that President Yoon illegally intervened in the nomination process and that there was a nomination deal, proving a serious issue that shakes the constitutional order."

Regarding President Yoon's remarks, Chairman Kim said, "When many people call me, I tell them no on the spot, and if it's difficult, I speak vaguely," adding, "Isn't it along those lines?" He also commented on the nature of the conversation at the time, saying, "At that time, he was the president-elect," and "The conversation was a private one, not an official conversation."

In the press conference that day, Chairman Kim stated, "The Democratic Party's push to abolish the 'automatic submission system for budget bills' is effectively an 'unconstitutional bill' that makes it impossible to process the budget bill by the constitutional deadline, which is 30 days before the start of the fiscal year," adding, "The Democratic Party's unconstitutional 'abolition of the automatic submission system for budget bills' not only obstructs the central government's normal budget execution guideline preparations but also shortens the local budget review period of metropolitan and basic councils, ultimately causing the new year's budget not to be executed properly, and the damage will be passed directly to the people." Regarding the possibility of the National Assembly Act passing despite the ruling party's opposition, he said, "Naturally, the president's right to request reconsideration will be exercised."