Prosecution to Summon Myeong Taegyun on the 8th for Investigation... Four Additional Prosecutors Including Deputy Chief and Chief Prosecutors Dispatched

Prosecutors Expanded to a Special Investigation Team of 11 Members

The prosecution investigating the allegations of 'nomination interference' involving Mr. Myeong Taegyun and President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife, as well as the 'money transaction' allegations against former lawmaker Kim Young-sun, will summon Mr. Myeong, the 'key man' in these suspicions, for questioning on the 8th.

Previously, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office dispatched two prosecutors to the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office and has now sent an additional four prosecutors, including a deputy chief prosecutor and a chief prosecutor, to take charge of the investigation.

Mr. Myeong Taegyun. Mr. Myeong Taegyun's Facebook

According to the legal community on the 5th, the Criminal Division 4 of the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Kim Ho-gyeong), which is investigating this case, plans to summon Mr. Myeong at 10 a.m. on the 8th as a suspect on charges including violation of the Political Funds Act for questioning.

In December last year, the Gyeongnam Provincial Election Commission reported Kang Hye-gyeong, who was the accounting manager for former lawmaker Kim, to the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office for violating the Political Funds Act and requested an investigation into five individuals related to political fund expenditures, including Mr. Myeong and former lawmaker Kim.

The prosecution's investigation of Mr. Myeong comes about 11 months after the request for investigation. Mr. Myeong is accused of receiving a total of 90,316,000 KRW in donations over 25 occasions from around August 23, 2022, to December 28 of last year, from the side of former lawmaker Kim, who was elected as the People Power Party candidate in the Changwon Uichang district in the June 1, 2022, by-election, in relation to recommending candidates for the National Assembly election.

The prosecution is expected to sequentially verify the allegations against Mr. Myeong, including whether the 90.31 million KRW received from former lawmaker Kim's side was a reward for helping with the nomination, whether he helped with Kim's nomination through Mrs. Kim, and whether he was involved in the selection of the Changwon National Industrial Complex with Kim's assistance.

Given that Mr. Myeong previously made statements about burning key evidence, there is speculation that the prosecution may seek to secure his custody on the grounds of potential evidence destruction.

On the same day, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office dispatched four additional prosecutors to the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office as of the 6th, including Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Ji-hyeong of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office, Chief Prosecutor In Hun of the Ulsan District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 5 (Public and Corruption Crimes Division), and two ordinary prosecutors, to take charge of this investigation. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee is expected to lead the investigation team. Previously, two prosecutors specializing in public security cases were dispatched from the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office respectively, and two specialists in account tracing were also dispatched, expanding the investigation team to a special investigation team of 11 prosecutors.

Meanwhile, the Public Investigation Division 2 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is investigating a case in which a civic group filed charges against Mr. Myeong and President Yoon and his wife for violating the Public Official Election Act related to allegations of manipulating opinion polls. It is alleged that Mr. Myeong conducted 81 public and non-public opinion polls worth approximately 375 million KRW before the 22nd presidential election, provided them to President Yoon, and in return, Mrs. Kim promised the nomination of former lawmaker Kim.

In addition, Mr. Myeong is under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials for alleged violations of the Political Funds Act related to the 'free provision' of opinion polls, and has been reported to the police for defamation charges related to President Yoon.