On the 12th, at the National Assembly’s plenary session during the parliamentary questioning on politics, diplomacy, unification, and security, Acting Minister of Justice Kim Seok-woo responded to a question from Lee Chun-seok, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea. [Yonhap News]
Acting Minister Kim addressed the investigation into the “Myung Tae-gyun nomination intervention allegations” involving President Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife, Kim Geon-hee. He stated that once the analysis of physical evidence is completed and deemed necessary, various summons investigations would be considered.
During the National Assembly questioning, in response to Lee Chun-seok’s question on why there hasn’t been a summons investigation for Mrs. Kim when the President is immune from prosecution, Acting Minister Kim replied that specific plans for a summons can only be determined after the ongoing forensic analysis of the so-called “golden phone” of the defendant Myung Tae-gyun is completed, which is taking longer than expected but is being expedited.
Regarding concerns that Myung’s free provision of opinion polls may violate political funding laws, Acting Minister Kim said that simply receiving a poll doesn’t automatically constitute a crime; the context and background need comprehensive consideration.
On the Democratic Party’s push for a “Myung Tae-gyun Special Prosecutor,” he expressed that while he does not oppose the introduction of a special prosecutor if deemed necessary, it is essential to eliminate constitutional issues, stressing the need for caution in the procedure.
He also mentioned that although an internal investigation is underway, the limited public knowledge might lead to calls for a special prosecutor, suggesting that observing the investigation’s progress might be prudent.