The Myeong Taegyun Gate 'Pandora's Box' Opens

Changwon Prosecutors: "Most Involved Parties Reside in Seoul"
Case Transferred to Seoul Central Prosecutors' Office
Speculation Grows: Is First Lady Kim or President Yoon the Ultimate Target?

Myeong Tae-gyun, a key figure in the allegations of Kim Geon-hee's involvement in candidate selection and the illegal opinion poll conducted by the Future Korea Research Institute, is seen answering reporters' questions as he exits the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in Seongsan-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam, last November.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Changwon District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating the 'Myeong Taegyun allegations,' has transferred the case to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. This move has attracted attention as it was made while opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, are pushing for a 'Myeong Taegyun Special Prosecutor Act.' There is speculation that the ultimate target of the investigation might be President Yoon Seok-yeol and First Lady Kim Geon-hee, regarding the core issue of 'interference in candidate nominations.'

Prosecutors say "Most involved parties are in Seoul," but...

The dedicated investigation team at the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Ji-hyung) stated, "Considering that most of the involved parties reside in Seoul or regions other than Changwon, Gyeongnam, and that the acts mainly took place in Seoul, the case is being transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office." This suggests the transfer decision was made for 'investigative convenience,' such as the addresses of the involved parties. However, the Changwon office has so far summoned nearly 100 people, including current and former lawmakers such as Lee Jun-seok of the Reform New Party (former leader of the People Power Party), and even conducted a search and seizure at the People Power Party headquarters. The existing Changwon investigation team will remain intact and only 'move' to Seoul. This implies that the real reason for the transfer is something else. Ultimately, it is seen as a preliminary step toward directly investigating First Lady Kim Geon-hee and President Yoon.

This transfer occurred 104 days after the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office formed a dedicated investigation team following the release of Myeong Taegyun's recorded conversations. It has been about a year since the Gyeongnam Election Commission requested an investigation into Myeong in December 2023. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office had originally transferred the case involving President Yoon and his wife and Myeong, who were accused last November, to Changwon. Now, after three months, the case has been handed back. If the opposition's push for the Myeong Taegyun Special Prosecutor Act gains momentum, the prosecution will face criticism for hesitating in the face of the core issue of 'the presidential couple's interference in candidate nominations.' The legal community generally views that the prosecution is cornered into a situation where it has little choice but to confront the issue head-on.

How far will the investigation into ‘candidate nomination interference’ go?

Alongside whether the prosecution will directly investigate President Yoon and his wife, the most intense interest lies in how far the probe into the candidate nomination interference allegations will go. On the 17th, Myeong Taegyun’s lawyer revealed that "First Lady Kim Geon-hee sent a Telegram message just before last year’s general election saying, ‘Prosecutor Kim Sang-min worked very hard during the investigation of Cho Kuk. Please help Kim Sang-min become a member of the National Assembly for Uichang District.’" This suggests that an investigation into the First Lady is only a matter of time. In President Yoon’s case, according to the constitutional provision that ‘the president cannot be criminally prosecuted except for crimes of rebellion or treason,’ an investigation can only proceed if he is impeached by the Constitutional Court. Earlier, a recorded phone call was released in which President Yoon said to Myeong in May 2023, "I told you to take care of Kim Young-sun, but there’s a lot of talk about it, from the party."

Attention should be paid to the fact that the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office announced that forensic analysis has been completed on three mobile phones, including the so-called ‘golden phone,’ and a portable storage device (USB memory) submitted by Myeong to the prosecution. It has long been speculated that the golden phone contains calls and notes exchanged not only between President Yoon and the First Lady but also with many ruling party figures, and Myeong’s side has not denied this. Depending on the prosecution’s findings, it may become difficult to predict how far this investigation will look beyond the presidential couple to the ruling party’s candidate nomination activities during the last general election, and which ruling party figures might come under scrutiny. It could be like opening Pandora’s box.

Meanwhile, on the 17th, the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office announced interim investigation results and additionally indicted former lawmaker Kim Young-sun. He is accused of violating the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act by informing his two younger brothers about the candidate site for the new national industrial complex in Changwon during his time as a member of the National Assembly in 2023. His brothers were also indicted as accomplices.