Signs of Prolonged Impact of Recordings... Han Dong-hoon's Reform Plan Loses Its Effectiveness

Special Inspector Appointed, but President Yoon and Myeong Taegyun's Recordings Released
Insufficient to Calm Angry Public Sentiment
Opposition Urges "Special Prosecutor Investigation," Ruling Party Under Pressure

President Yoon Suk-yeol and political broker Myung Tae-gyun's recorded phone call mentioning the nomination of former lawmaker Kim Young-sun has been made public, spreading the nomination interference suspicion throughout the entire ruling party. This has also rendered the ruling party's push for reform, including the appointment of a special inspector proposed by People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, ineffective.

According to the ruling party on the 1st, Leader Han, who had attended a forum and made regional visits around the 100th day of President Yoon's inauguration, is expected to plan political strategies without any public schedule on this day. He is likely to consider ways to resolve the adverse situation facing the ruling party following the release of the recorded call between President Yoon and Mr. Myung.

Earlier, Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, revealed on the 31st of last month a recording of a phone call between President Yoon and Mr. Myung on May 9, 2022, a day before Yoon's inauguration, discussing the nomination of Kim Young-sun, who ran in the June by-elections that year.

President Yoon said to Mr. Myung, "The nomination committee brought it to me, and since Kim Young-sun worked hard from the primary, I told them to give it to Kim Young-sun, but there are many complaints from the party." This audio appears to be a file that Mr. Myung played to a third party, who then re-recorded it.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Although Leader Han stated at the 100-day press conference on the 30th of last month that he would push for the appointment of a special inspector as a sign of change and reform, the release of the recorded call between President Yoon and Mr. Myung just one day later suggests that reform measures such as the special inspector appointment will be insufficient to manage the situation. There is skepticism about whether the appointment of a special inspector, who lacks prosecution and compulsory investigation powers, can appease the public's anger.

A close associate of Han predicted, "If First Lady Kim's apology and the presidential office's reform had been timely, would the fallout have been this severe? The public sentiment will not easily calm down." Previously, Kim Jong-hyuk, a Supreme Council member, also remarked on YTN Radio the day before, "It feels like a new chapter is beginning, and on the other hand, the talk of a special inspector seems to be perceived as insignificant."

A public opinion poll conducted by Gallup Korea from the 29th to 31st of last month targeting 1,005 people aged 18 and over, and released on the same day, showed that only 19% responded that President Yoon is performing his duties well, marking the lowest ever. The percentage of those who said he is performing poorly was 72%, the highest since his inauguration. The top reason for negative evaluation was "First Lady Kim Kun-hee's issue (17%)."

The opposition party has also stepped up pressure on the People Power Party. Floor leader Park Chan-dae said at the Supreme Council meeting on the same day, "The presidential office claimed that President Yoon cut ties with Myung Tae-gyun after the presidential primary, but that explanation has been proven false," and urged, "The public demands a special investigation that meets their expectations."

Meanwhile, this Gallup Korea poll was conducted by randomly selecting virtual mobile phone numbers provided by the three major telecommunications companies. The response method was a telephone interviewer interview (CATI), with a sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, and a response rate of 11.1%. For more details, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.