[News Figures] Kim Yeosa Nomtaegyun, Key Figure in Alleged Interference in Candidate Nomination

As the controversy over Kim Geon-hee's alleged interference in candidate selection intensifies, Myung Tae-kyun is emerging as a key figure, and the situation is escalating further as Myung himself revealed that he frequently met with President Yoon and his wife to provide political advice.

Myung is evaluated as a figure who exerted considerable influence within the political sphere while serving as the chairman of the public opinion research firm 'Mirae Hanguk Yeonguso' in Changwon, Gyeongnam. In particular, during the 2022 presidential election, he frequently visited President Yoon’s residence in Seocho-dong, Seoul, and later recommended former People Power Party lawmaker Choi Jae-hyung as Prime Minister, maintaining close ties with the president and his wife and deeply involving himself in domestic politics.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Myung claims that his connection with President Yoon and his wife began during Yoon’s presidential candidacy.

According to an interview Myung gave to Dong-A Ilbo on the 7th, he stated that he played a significant role in the election of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform New Party, as representatives of the People Power Party, which caught President Yoon’s attention and led to Yoon asking for his help, marking the start of their relationship. He said he visited President Yoon’s Seocho-dong residence so frequently that he "can’t even remember" the number of visits, and that he recommended former People Power Party lawmaker Choi Jae-hyung as Prime Minister to the president and his wife. He explained, "At that time, there were too many corruption issues in various ministries, so someone upright like Choi Jae-hyung was needed," adding, "I told them, ‘If you don’t do this, you (President Yoon and his wife) will all be caught.’”

Myung is also suspected of securing the nomination of former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun in the by-election for Uichang, Changwon, Gyeongnam, held in June 2022, through Kim Geon-hee.

Kang Hye-kyung, who worked as an accounting manager in former lawmaker Kim’s office, appeared on the YouTube channel 'Spix' on the 6th and claimed that the Mirae Hanguk Yeonguso, operated by Myung, conducted several public opinion polls for then-candidate Yoon Seok-yeol during the last presidential election, and that the reward for this was the nomination of former lawmaker Kim for his constituency.

As suspicions about Myung continue to spread, the controversy does not seem likely to subside easily.

The Democratic Party of Korea demanded verification from the presidential office on the same day. Hwang Jeong-a, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, criticized in a National Assembly briefing, "Myung Tae-kyun claimed in a media interview that he frequently visited candidate Yoon Seok-yeol’s residence during the presidential election and provided political advice. He said he influenced the Prime Minister appointment and even designed the entire conservative 'succession structure.' These statements are shocking beyond measure."

She continued, "He also claimed to have contributed to the election of Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Reform New Party leader Lee Jun-seok," adding, "If these allegations are true, Myung cannot be seen as a mere political broker but as an unelected power, a 'shadow power' of this administration." She urged, "There are testimonies that unelected shadow powers have been manipulating state affairs behind the president’s back, so why has the presidential office not issued any statement? We demand a clear clarification of the truth behind Myung’s claims."

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