On the 6th, as the Democratic Party of Korea announced its plan to introduce a special prosecutor to uncover the truth behind the so-called 'Myeong Taegyun Gate,' Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, said, "Hong Joon-pyo will not get involved with such a swindler."
On the same day, Mayor Hong posted on his social media service (SNS), saying, "The Democratic Party of Korea is reportedly proposing the Myeong Taegyun special prosecutor law to catch me." He added, "Go ahead and try. Even if the swindler goes to jail and conspires with the Democratic Party to struggle, no matter how much they investigate, nothing will come out."
He further emphasized once again, "They say they conducted tens of thousands of forensic investigations on Myeong Taegyun's golden phone, but not a single phone call or KakaoTalk message will be found. Even if it’s someone else, I won’t get involved with such a swindler."
He continued, "On the contrary, we have two cases that we have filed complaints about, so those should be thoroughly investigated, and such swindlers should be sent to jail for a long time," adding, "It is very unpleasant to connect me with such a swindler."
Earlier, in December last year, Mayor Hong denied the claim from Myeong’s side that he had asked Kim Jong-in, former emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, for reinstatement through Myeong Taegyun, and announced that he would file a defamation (false information disclosure) lawsuit against Myeong and his legal representative, lawyer Nam Sang-kwon.
At that time, lawyer Nam claimed in an interview with MBC Radio, "Mayor Hong and Myeong had a close relationship," and "In April 2021, Mayor Hong called Myeong and asked him to request reinstatement to Kim Jong-in, then emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party. On April 25 of that year, Myeong met Kim at a Jeju Island villa owned by A, a supporter of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, and asked for Mayor Hong’s reinstatement."
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party stated on the same day, "It is common knowledge that the Myeong Taegyun Gate was the fuse that led to the declaration of martial law," and announced plans to push for a related special prosecutor. Park Sung-joon, the party’s chief deputy floor leader, pointed out at the National Assembly policy coordination meeting, "Until just before the declaration of martial law, Myeong Taegyun’s state manipulation was the core of the political situation. The Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office obtained Myeong Taegyun’s 'golden phone,' but the investigation is not progressing properly."
He added, "There has been no proper revelation or accountability regarding the People Power Party’s presidential primary opinion manipulation allegations and various illegal interventions in nominations. Watching the investigation into the insurrection case, it seems like a scheme to cover it up moderately," and said, "We must uncover the truth of the Myeong Taegyun Gate to ensure that opinion manipulation, secret intervention, and state manipulation never happen again."
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