Delivered Before Former President Yoon's Dismissal Ruling
The prosecution investigating allegations of political broker Myung Tae-gyun's involvement in candidate selection and manipulation of opinion polls is understood to have begun coordinating schedules for questioning with Kim Geon-hee, wife of former President Yoon Seok-yeol.
According to the legal community on the 7th, the special investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office handling the Myung Tae-gyun case (led by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Lee Ji-hyung) recently informed Kim's side that an investigation at the prosecution office is necessary to clarify suspicions related to Myung. It is reported that the prosecution conveyed this before the Constitutional Court's ruling on the dismissal of former President Yoon.
Once the summons schedule is finalized, Kim, who is a suspect in the case after being accused of violating the Public Official Election Act, is expected to be summoned to the prosecution office to verify whether she intervened in the People Power Party's candidate selection process during the June 1, 2022, National Assembly by-election.
Former President Yoon and his wife are suspected of receiving a total of 81 illegal opinion polls worth approximately 375.2 million KRW free of charge from Mirae Hanguk Research Institute, an opinion polling firm effectively operated by Myung, in exchange for helping former lawmaker Kim Young-sun secure the nomination for the Changwon Uichang electoral district in the by-election.
According to a previously released recorded phone call, on May 9, 2022, the day before the inauguration and the day before the People Power Party's by-election candidate announcement, former President Yoon told Myung, "I told you to support Kim Young-sun since he worked hard from the primary, but there’s a lot of talk. From the party."
On the same day, Kim Geon-hee also told Myung, "The president-elect just called. Anyway, don’t use the president-elect’s name, just push (Kim former lawmaker)." The prosecution has secured messages sent via Telegram and other platforms where Myung sent opinion poll files to former President Yoon and his wife.
Kim is also suspected of attempting to intervene in the candidate selection process for the April 10, 2022, 22nd National Assembly general election. According to Myung’s side, on February 18, 2022, Kim allegedly proposed to former lawmaker Kim that if he supported former prosecutor Kim Sang-min to win the Changwon Uichang electoral district in Gyeongnam, she would offer a ministerial or public enterprise president position after the election. The prosecution has obtained records showing that Kim exchanged calls and texts with former lawmaker Kim 11 times between that day and March 1.
Previously, there was controversy over preferential treatment when Kim was investigated outside the prosecution office’s premises during probes into allegations of receiving luxury bags and stock manipulation of Deutsche Motors. Given the change in status following former President Yoon’s dismissal by the Constitutional Court, this investigation is likely to take place at the prosecution office. After questioning Kim, the prosecution is also expected to investigate former President Yoon, whose immunity has been lifted.
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