The special investigation team regarding Kim Keon-hee is questioning Kang Hye-gyeong regarding the 'Myung Tae-kyun Gate' allegations this morning.
Kang's side arrived at the KT Gwanghwamun Building in Seoul, where the special investigation team's office is located, around 9:53 a.m. Kang's side stated that regarding the allegations of 'political broker' Myung Tae-kyun's interference in nominations, "I understand that Lee Jun-seok, the then leader of the People Power Party, was also involved in the nomination of former lawmaker Kim Young-sun."
When asked if there were circumstances to view that People Power Party lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyeon intervened in the nomination of former lawmaker Kim, Kang's side replied, "Since he was the head of the nomination committee at that time, Yoon Sang-hyeon's decision was also necessary."
In a statement released by Kang's legal team today, they said, "Today, Kang Hye-gyeong is expected to testify as a witness regarding illegal false polling." Kang's side added, "As a result of our own forensic analysis, most of the non-public opinion polls conducted by the Future Korea Research Institute were found to be manipulated or of illegal nature," and noted that "there were multiple violations of the Political Funds Act and the Public Official Election Act, including payments made by third parties or in cash."
Kang is the deputy director of the polling agency Future Korea Research Institute, which Myung operated, and is also a former accountant for former lawmaker Kim. Kang is known as the first whistleblower of the allegations involving former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife regarding nomination interference.
The special investigation team is investigating allegations that former President Yoon and his wife received public opinion polling from Myung for free during the 20th presidential election process in 2022, in exchange for ensuring that former lawmaker Kim was nominated in the by-elections held that year.
Meanwhile, the special investigation team noted that they are currently investigating Mr. A, a secretary from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, as a suspect related to allegations of preferential treatment regarding the change of the terminal for the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway. Mr. A was originally scheduled to appear the day before but postponed his appearance to today, citing the appointment of a lawyer.
The core of the allegations is that Kim Keon-hee and her family improperly interfered in the process of changing the route of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway. It is alleged that in May 2023, the year following the launch of the Yoon Suk-yeol government, the terminal of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway was suddenly changed from its original location in Yangseo-myeon, Yangpyeong-gun, to Gangsan-myeon, where Kim's family owns 28 parcels of land (22,663 square meters).