Democratic Party: "Yoon Sang-hyun requested Foreign Minister position from Myeong Tae-gyun"... Yoon Sang-hyun: "Completely false rumor"

Additional Release of Audio File of Min Tae-gyun from the Democratic Party
Core Connections of the Myeong Tae-gyun Gate: 'Yoon Seok-yeol · Yoon Sang-hyun'
Yoon Sang-hyun "Yoon Never Told Kim Young-sun to Give Nomination"

On the 24th, a recording revealing that People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun requested the appointment of Myung Tae-gyun as Minister of Foreign Affairs was disclosed by the Democratic Party of Korea. The Democratic Party also claimed that Yoon Sang-hyun and President Yoon Seok-yeol are the key connections in the so-called Myung Tae-gyun Gate, suggesting that Yoon Sang-hyun’s support for President Yoon Seok-yeol’s emergency martial law was related.

On the same day, the Democratic Party released a recorded phone call file between former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun and Mr. Myung. In the recording, Mr. Myung mentioned that lawmaker Yoon asked for help, expressing his hope to become Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Yoon Sang-hyun, a member of the People Power Party, is attending a party meeting held at the National Assembly on the 16th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min

Listening to the recording, Mr. Myung said, "I spoke with him earlier, and he (lawmaker Yoon) said he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (now Ministry of Foreign Affairs) for 13 years, and was talking about various things." He added, "He told me to talk well to his sister-in-law (First Lady Kim Keon-hee). I was going to meet her at 4 o’clock anyway, and he said, ‘I only trust you.’" He continued, "He’s in a hurry, really in a hurry," and said, "Won Hee-ryong (former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport) also wants to become Minister of Foreign Affairs so badly he’s dying."

The recording also mentions an incident where lawmaker Yoon violated COVID-19 quarantine rules by holding a drinking party. Mr. Myung said, "When I told him, ‘Please don’t drink and meet secretly,’ he said, ‘I will do as I’m told.’"

Regarding this, the Democratic Party stated, "About ten days after the call, at the end of March, then floor leader Kim Ki-hyun officially announced his early resignation, and the floor leader election was held on April 8." They added, "Lawmaker Yoon was mentioned as a candidate but ultimately did not run, and lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong was elected as floor leader."

Meanwhile, lawmaker Yoon completely denied the allegations. During a meeting with reporters at the National Assembly on the morning of the same day, he said, "The claim that I wanted to become Minister of Foreign Affairs is completely false," and refuted, "President Yoon never told me to ‘nominate Kim Young-sun.’"

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