'Y Conspiracy Theory' Gains Traction... Yoon Seok-yeol: "Lee Dong-hoon Is Not Someone Who Would Fabricate Stories"

Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol appeared on 'JTBC Newsroom' on the 14th and addressed the revelations made by former campaign spokesperson Lee Dong-hoon. Photo by JTBC, screenshot from 'Newsroom' broadcast

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Former campaign spokesperson Lee Dong-hoon’s revelation of the so-called 'Y conspiracy theory' prompted Yoon Seok-yeol, a leading opposition presidential candidate and former Prosecutor General, to respond, saying, "I don’t think he is someone who would make up baseless stories."

Earlier, Lee, who is under suspicion of bribery, stated on the 13th, "A person from the ruling party came and said, 'If you take down Y and help us, we will make the charges disappear. Coordination with the police has been made,'" adding, "(When I refused) my face and name were plastered all over the media. It’s a conspiracy."

Some have raised suspicions that 'Y' might refer to former Prosecutor General Yoon.

Regarding this, Yoon appeared on 'JTBC Newsroom' on the 14th and said, "I expected attacks against me from various directions, but I was surprised that the investigation was abused to create such an incident."

Yoon continued, "The truth needs to be further clarified," while lending weight to the 'Y conspiracy theory.' He explained, "(Former spokesperson Lee) spoke at the risk of his own reputation," adding, "Disclosure of the suspect’s facts usually happens when the police transfer the case to the prosecution. However, the fact that the charges were made public on the 29th of last month, when I was making my political declaration, raises many suspicions."

Yoon also addressed allegations surrounding his family. Regarding attempts to verify his spouse Kim Geon-hee, he said, "Since I am the one running for public office, if it is necessary to verify my ability and morality, and if it is based on facts, I am willing to explain as much as needed."

However, he remained reserved about his mother-in-law Choi Mo, who is accused of fraudulent claims related to nursing hospitals. Yoon stated, "I first learned about the case involving my mother-in-law during the 2019 Prosecutor General confirmation hearing," adding, "The accused and their lawyer are disputing the charges, and the trial is ongoing, so we need to wait for the outcome."

Meanwhile, Yoon withheld his position on whether to unify with former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung. He said, "I never said I would unify with (former Chairman Choi), but I said that if it ensures a definite regime change, I would make any choice," adding, "Regarding unification with former Chairman Choi or his political moves, I have no reason to comment at this time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.