Park Beom-gye, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and an opposition secretary of the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, has released a photo that he claims to be the actual “golden phone” submitted to the prosecution by Myung Tae-gyun, a central figure in the nomination manipulation allegations. This phone is believed to contain important information.
After visiting Myung Tae-gyun at the Changwon Correctional Institution on the 21st, Park posted about the visit on his Facebook page on the 21st and 22nd. On the 21st, he shared a part of a notebook that presumably recorded the conversation he had with Myung, stating, “I boarded the KTX again after visiting Myung at Changwon Correctional Institution.”
Park also shared some notes from his conversation with Myung, mentioning statements like “There is a copy,” “The investigation is already over, only the timing of the revelation remains,” and “The phone contains Song Chef and an eel restaurant.” These notes suggest claims Myung met with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon at these locations.
The term “copy” appears to refer to an additional copy of materials containing evidence related to several allegations, including nomination manipulation. The locations “Song Chef” (a Chinese restaurant) and the eel restaurant are alleged to be meeting places between Myung and Mayor Oh, claimed by Myung’s side.
Park further included photos of three golden phones and a robot-shaped USB drive submitted by Myung to the prosecution, expressing curiosity about their contents with the remark, “What on earth is contained in these?” The Democratic Party is asserting that recordings of calls with President Yoon Suk-yeol, First Lady Kim Kun-hee, and key ruling party figures might be stored in Myung’s golden phone and USB drive, and they are urging an investigation through a special probe, dubbed the “Myung Tae-gyun Special Investigation.”
Previously, on the 19th, the Democratic Party attempted to question Myung directly at a Legislative and Judiciary Committee meeting, but he did not appear, citing health reasons. However, Myung’s side has indicated willingness to engage if a live question session is held with bipartisan agreement at the correctional institution or via video conference. Consequently, the Democratic Party has postponed the deadline for addressing the special investigation bill to the 27th and is exploring options for a field visit or video conference.