Mr. Myung Tae-kyun attended the prosecution on the 29th and said, "I came from Changwon to Seoul to catch Oh Se-hoon, who gave an irreparable wound to my beloved wife and my daughters." Myung is under investigation by the prosecution for alleged involvement in the nomination process and manipulation of opinion polls.
On that day, the Myung Tae-kyun special investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office (Head of Team Lee Ji-hyung, Vice Administrator) summoned Mr. Myung. As he entered the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office to undergo questioning, he met with reporters and said, "The investigation concerning Mayor Oh involves not just one matter, but 20, and he is currently facing a total of 20 charges." He added regarding the number of meetings with Mayor Oh, "I understand that there is solid evidence and witnesses that confirm we met more than seven times."
Previously, Mr. Myung was arrested and indicted for violating the Political Fund Act on Dec. 3 last year, and was released on bail. He was charged with promising political funding to former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun in connection with the June 2022 by-election for the National Assembly.
The prosecution is also investigating another allegation against Mr. Myung regarding his involvement in the nomination process and manipulation of opinion polls. They are looking into allegations that a polling company, 'Future Korea Research Institute,' which Mr. Myung effectively operated during the April 2021 Seoul mayoral by-election, conducted 13 non-public opinion polls related to Mayor Oh. The prosecution is examining whether businessman Kim Han-jeong, known as a longtime supporter of Mayor Oh, covered the expenses of 33 million won over five instances.
Mr. Myung said, "If the nomination happened because people around me recommended someone, then it would be intervention, but if it didn't, then it wouldn't." He added that Mrs. Kim had testified to the prosecution that she asked him to help with the nomination of Prosecutor Kim Sang-min. He stated, "Mrs. Kim said to take care of Prosecutor Kim, who struggled a lot during the investigation into Jo Kuk, and inquired whether it wouldn't be better for former lawmaker Kim to go to a public enterprise or minister." He then asked, "Would there be anyone who would refuse if a phone call came from the First Lady asking for something like this?"
When asked, "Do you have anything to say to former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his spouse?" Mr. Myung responded, "What is there to say?" but added, "Those who come to me are all my clients, and I hope they do well. Whenever they were trying to resolve any problems or trying to go in a certain direction, I often expressed my discontent."
He continued, "If you feel bad in the National Assembly, can you just keep flying helicopters?" He added, "I want to say that I feel sorry for former President Yoon and Mrs. Kim."
Meanwhile, Mayor Oh's side stated to the press corps, "Myung Tae-kyun is a criminal who uses elections, the bastion of democracy, to engage in fraudulent activities." They added, "The more I encounter the 'Myung Tae-kyun theory of everything' in which everything originated from himself, the more it makes me chuckle." They concluded, "We urge the prosecution to conduct a strict investigation and take action so that a criminal does not deceive our society any longer with lies and muddying the waters."