Park Ji-won "I drank a lot with Yoon" vs Yoon "I never drank"

Park Ji-won "Why Step on a Sleeping Tiger's Tail?"

Director Park Ji-won of the National Intelligence Service is moving to the briefing room at the Government Seoul Office on the afternoon of the 27th of last month to announce the end of public surveillance and deliver an apology to the public.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Park Ji-won, Director of the National Intelligence Service, said to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, "Didn't you drink a lot with me during your time as Prosecutor General?" On the 14th, former Prosecutor General Yoon denied this, leading to a dispute over the truth. Former Prosecutor General Yoon said, "During my time as Prosecutor General, I never drank with Director Park."

According to the Chosun Ilbo on the same day, former Prosecutor General Yoon said, "If there is anything you know about me but cannot say, I hope you reveal it all quickly since you are going to expose it anyway."

Earlier, Director Park, addressing former Prosecutor General Yoon who claimed to be behind the so-called 'accusation solicitation' suspicion, said, "Why are you stepping on the tail of a sleeping tiger?" and "Did you only eat with people inside the prosecution office while you were Prosecutor General? You also drank a lot with me." Director Park added, "I cannot speak because I am the head of the National Intelligence Service. My silence is advantageous to you (former Prosecutor General Yoon)."

Regarding this, when asked whether he had ever had a drinking occasion with Director Park during his tenure as Prosecutor General, former Prosecutor General Yoon laughed and replied, "Haha," and said, "Whether personally or in official settings, I have never drunk with Director Park."

He also said, "The head of an intelligence agency responsible for national security making baseless claims about a presidential candidate to the media itself is election interference and political manipulation by the National Intelligence Service, isn't it? Instead of doing that as the head of the National Intelligence Service, why not reveal everything once as a civilian?"

He continued, "I met twice at funerals for the husband of a lawmaker I know and for Director Park's wife, but even then, we did not share a drink together. To my recollection, I have no memory of drinking with Director Park either officially or personally, but if my memory is inaccurate and there is a drinking occasion that I do not remember but Director Park does, I hope Director Park will tell me who else was present," he emphasized.

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