Ms. Kang Hye-kyung, who raised allegations of interference in candidate selection involving President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife, former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun, and Mr. Myung Tae-gyun, has completed approximately 13 hours of prosecution investigation.
Ms. Kang, who was the accounting manager for former lawmaker Kim, worked at Jusikhoesa Joeunnal (Good Day Co., Ltd.) operated by Mr. Myung, Sisa Gyeongnam, and the Mirae Hanguk Yeonguso (Future Korea Research Institute), which he is known to actually run.
Ms. Kang appeared for the investigation at the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in Gyeongnam around 10 a.m. on the 6th and left the building around 10:40 p.m. that night.
She explained, "I was mainly questioned about money-related matters and was also intensively investigated regarding public opinion polls. I was also questioned about the candidate selection compensation."
"I testified truthfully without lies and admitted to any mistakes I made," she said.
Regarding Mr. Myung and former lawmaker Kim, who are identified as key figures in the candidate selection interference allegations, she said, "I hope they do not lie and are investigated truthfully."
"I plan to file a counterclaim regarding the lawsuits they have filed against me," she added. "I do not know how additional investigations will proceed, but I will cooperate sincerely."
When asked about her willingness to participate in a confrontation interrogation, she responded, "There is no reason to avoid it."
Kang Hye-kyung, who exposed allegations of interference in candidate selection, is heading to the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in Gyeongnam for her eighth investigation. [Photo by Lee Se-ryeong]
Earlier, the Gyeongnam Election Commission filed a complaint with the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in December last year against Ms. Kang, the accounting manager for former lawmaker Kim, for violating the Political Funds Act, and requested investigations into five people including former lawmaker Kim and Mr. Myung.
Subsequently, Ms. Kang appeared as a witness at the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee’s audit on the 21st of last month, stating that Mr. Myung, the actual operator of the Future Korea Research Institute, a public opinion polling firm, conducted customized illegal opinion polls for then-candidate Yoon Suk-yeol during the last presidential election.
She also alleged that in exchange for receiving payment, Mr. Myung secured the nomination for former lawmaker Kim in the June 1, 2022, by-election, and that Mrs. Kim Geon-hee was involved in this process.
Furthermore, she claimed that former lawmaker Kim paid approximately 90 million won in salary to Mr. Myung’s side as a reward for the nomination.
The prosecution suspects that the money given by former lawmaker Kim to Mr. Myung since the by-election two years ago was compensation for the nomination.
They also believe that Mr. Myung, to cover the costs of the presidential election opinion polls, flaunted his friendship with Mrs. Kim and received 240 million won from prospective candidates.
Former lawmaker Kim and Mr. Myung deny any quid pro quo nomination, stating that the money was merely repayment of loans taken for election funds.
In particular, former lawmaker Kim emphasized that Ms. Kang, who had full authority over political fund transactions as the accounting manager, was the one who gave money to Mr. Myung, and that it was unrelated to the nomination.
The prosecution completed questioning former lawmaker Kim as a suspect on the 3rd and 4th, and after the eighth investigation of Ms. Kang on the 6th, plans to summon and investigate Mr. Myung on the 8th.
Ahead of Mr. Myung’s summons, the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office has been operating an 11-member investigation team, having reinforced it last month by adding two prosecutors experienced in public security cases from the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office and Busan District Prosecutors’ Office, and recently adding four more from Busan and Ulsan District Prosecutors’ Offices.
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