Reform Party candidate Lee Jun-seok noted on the 22nd regarding the court testimony that he was involved in the Myungtaegyun Gate scandal, "As the election season approaches, a stream of nonsense akin to saengtaetang is pouring out."
On that day, the candidate said on Facebook, "It is absurd that Ms. Kang Hye-kyung, who does not even know me, is running around talking as if she knows something about me, and who is this driver to say anything?"
"Saengtaetang" is interpreted as a suspicion raised by the Democratic Party of Korea during the 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election aiming at Oh Se-hoon, the then-candidate for mayor.
According to reports, during the fourth trial held at the Changwon District Court on this day regarding Mr. Myungtaegyun and former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun, A, Mr. Myung's former driver who appeared as a witness, testified that the candidate proposed sending Mr. Kim to the ambassador position in Paris. Mr. Myung and Mr. Kim were arrested and indicted on charges of exchanging money in return for nominations for members of the National Assembly.
During the trial, when the prosecutor asked A, "Have you ever heard the candidate say to Mr. Myung, how about sending Mr. Kim to the ambassadorship in Paris?" he responded in a way that suggested, "We (Mr. Myung and A) visited Nowon District, and we talked about that in the car then."
The candidate commented on this report, saying, "What does it mean that at a time when someone was trying to make me fly away by putting me in the Ethics Committee for the suspicion of sexual favors, I suggested the ambassadorship in Paris to someone?" He added, "Lee Jun-seok is in a position where he can urgently recommend an ambassador to countries like France, and does that mean I will be falsely accused of sexual favors in the Ethics Committee and fly away?"
The candidate resigned from the People Power Party leadership in 2022 amid allegations that he received sexual favors from a businessman in 2013. At that time, the investigative authorities cited insufficient evidence and the expiration of the statute of limitations as reasons for not prosecuting the candidate regarding the allegations. The candidate claimed that former President Yoon Suk-yeol was behind the allegations.
On that day, the candidate's remarks are interpreted as suggesting that it was difficult to recommend someone for the ambassadorship in France to former President Yoon at a time when there was friction between them.