Democratic Party demands clarity on Myung-Yoon meeting

Political broker Myung Tae-kyun (pictured) met with Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the ruling People Power Party for drinks shortly after being interrogated by prosecutors in Seoul. Some have raised suspicions, asking, "Was this an attempt to destroy evidence?"

According to legal sources, Myung met Yoon at a restaurant near the prosecutors' office after his interrogation over alleged illegal payments for public opinion polls tied to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Kim Sung-hoon, former deputy head of the Presidential Security Service, was also reportedly present. Kim is under police investigation for allegedly blocking the execution of a detention warrant for former President Yoon Suk-yeol in January at the presidential residence in Yongsan.

Myung’s side claims the meeting was a personal conversation in which he expressed sympathy for former President Yoon. They said it offered an opportunity to discuss Myung's views on the narrowing investigation into Yoon by prosecutors. That day, prosecutors searched Yoon’s residence in the Acro Vista apartment in Seocho-gu, Seoul, in connection with allegations of illegal lobbying by Jeon Seong-bae, a former practitioner of a pseudo-religious practice.

Rep. Yoon, who attended the dinner, is under suspicion for his involvement in an alleged vote-rigging scheme to influence the ruling party’s candidate nominations. According to a recording made public earlier, on May 9, 2022, former President Yoon spoke with Myung, saying, "Kim Young-sun is a four-term lawmaker and worked hard during the primary. I’ll talk to Sang-hyun again. He’s the chairman of the nomination committee, after all." This has sparked controversy over whether the meeting between Myung and Rep. Yoon was an attempt to coordinate their statements.

In response, the Democratic Party’s investigation team into the Myung Tae-kyun scandal released a statement on May 1, saying, "It is inappropriate for Myung, a central figure in the vote-rigging allegations, to meet with Rep. Yoon, especially with Kim, who obstructed the execution of the arrest warrant for President Yoon, also present. The public has the right to know what these individuals discussed and why they met."


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