"Not the Date Our Director Wanted" Controversy... Jo Seong-eun Says "Consulting with Park Ji-won? Grasping at Straws with Forced Connections"

The whistleblower revealed in the so-called "accusation order" suspicion, Jo Seong-eun. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Jo Seong-eun, who caused controversy by saying "It is not a date that our director or I wanted or discussed" regarding the timing of media reports on the so-called 'accusation solicitation suspicion' surrounding Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party's presidential primary candidate, has rebutted by calling it a "nitpicking and forced connection."

Earlier on the 12th, Jo appeared on SBS 8 News and denied any connection between her acquaintance with National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won and the first report of the accusation solicitation suspicion by the internet media Newsbus on the 2nd, saying, "Because of the date and some period, they keep trying to frame or attack me, but in fact, the date September 2nd is not a date that our director or I wanted or discussed with consideration."

She added, "It was just a date that reporter Lee Jin-dong (Newsbus editor) decided to publish," and claimed, "That's why I called it an 'accident.' If this reporter had chosen a date in October, the report timing would have been in October, and if he had chosen December, it would have been December. It has nothing to do with this date."

After Jo's remarks were reported, suspicions of 'prior collusion' between her and Director Park arose. On the same day, Kim Ki-hyun, the floor leader of the People Power Party, posted on his Facebook, expressing suspicion about the relationship between Director Park and Jo, saying, "Their relationship is not a typical acquaintance relationship but a very close and special relationship."

On the 13th, Jo Seong-eun, former vice chairman of the United Future Party's election countermeasures committee, posted on her Facebook denying any collusion with Park Ji-won, the director of the National Intelligence Service. Photo by former Vice Chairman Jo Seong-eun's Facebook capture.

In response, on the 13th, Jo opened her statement on her Facebook, saying, "There are strange nitpicking contents overnight."

She stated, "The Newsbus report on the 2nd was not discussed or considered in advance; Newsbus just prepared the article late at night on the 1st and unilaterally notified me after the first call with Assemblyman Kim Woong," adding, "(The notification was) something like 'Sorry, we will release it tomorrow.' There was also a dispute during this process."

She continued, "I never considered discussing or consulting with Director Park about any matters related to candidate Yoon," and urged, "Yoon Seok-yeol's camp should not think about organizing online manipulative public opinion campaigns to distort facts. Besides the repetitive absurd slogans of fabrication and conspiracy, please prove the facts with me."

Jo drew a line, saying, "Under no circumstances do I feel the need or value to respond to or mention volatile issues that obscure the essence of the case or criminal facts."

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