Myeong Taegyun's Side Releases Transcript of Call Suggesting Kim Geonhee's Involvement in Nomination Interference

Alleged Intervention in Changwon Uichang District
Transcript Figures Deny Phone Conversations

The side of 'political broker' Myeong Tae-gyun has released a transcript of phone calls presumed to contain evidence of interference in the nomination process for the 22nd National Assembly election in 'Changwon Uichang-gu, Gyeongnam,' involving First Lady Kim Geon-hee.

Nam Sang-kwon, Myeong's legal representative, disclosed the transcript on the 17th under the title "The Last 48 Minutes of Telegram Calls with Kim Geon-hee (First Lady)."

The calls took place from February 16 to 19 last year, about two months before the 22nd general election, and involved 5 to 6 phone conversations between Kim and Myeong, according to Lawyer Nam.

According to the released transcript, Kim reportedly asked Myeong to help former Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office prosecutor Kim Sang-min become the National Assembly member for Uichang-gu, Changwon City, Gyeongnam. Prosecutor Kim held a press conference announcing his candidacy for the general election in January last year while still in office but was cut off from the primary (excluded from the nomination process).

In the transcript, Kim is also said to have mentioned to Myeong that Representative Yoon Han-hong shared the same view. In response, Representative Yoon issued a statement denying the claims, saying, "The contents disclosed by Myeong Tae-gyun through his lawyer are not true," and "I had no communication with First Lady Kim around that time."

The transcript also includes content suggesting that Kim called Governor Park Wan-su of Gyeongnam to ask for help for Prosecutor Kim. Regarding this, Governor Park's side reportedly stated, "There has been no phone call with First Lady Kim."

Myeong is understood to have responded to Kim's remarks by saying, "If you nominate someone who has only been a prosecutor all their life and does not know the region, not even through proportional representation, you will lose in the general election," and "If Kim Sang-min is forcibly nominated, I will not stay silent."

When asked whether there is an actual recording of the phone calls between Myeong and Kim, Lawyer Nam said, "Myeong Tae-gyun's words themselves are evidence," and added, "I do not know if there is a recording file."