Political broker Myung Tae-kyun was transported to the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office on the 27th to be questioned as part of an investigation into alleged involvement in candidate nominations by President Yoon Seok-yeol and his wife. Myung, sitting in the back seat of a transport vehicle, was seen wearing a mask. The investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, which is handling Myung’s case, has been expediting their probe since transferring him from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. After restoring a hidden cellphone, the prosecution expanded their investigation from the alleged nomination intervention to include suspicions that Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon had survey costs paid on his behalf.
The dedicated investigation team summoned Myung to the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office and, during the preliminary investigation, he reportedly mentioned meeting Mayor Oh seven times. Previously, Myung had stated he met with Oh four times while the mayor was preparing for the Seoul mayoral primary in early 2021. However, Myung now claims there were three additional meetings, though he did not specify the dates or locations.
Mayor Oh is alleged to have received 13 unpublished survey results and had 33 million won of survey costs paid by his sponsor, Kim Han-jeong. Myung had previously testified that Oh requested a survey to ensure victory over his competitor, Na Kyung-won. However, Mayor Oh’s side has refuted these claims, stating that he only met Myung twice in January 2021 and that there was no significant interaction. They also denied benefiting from any false surveys conducted by Myung.
The prosecution conducted simultaneous searches of four locations, including the house and office of Mayor Oh’s sponsor, Kim, and is investigating various allegations related to Myung. While questioning Myung about whether he presented survey reports to President Yoon and his wife, Myung denied the accusations. The investigation will continue on the 28th.