■ Host: Seong Mun-Gyu Anchor
■ Guests: Jang Seong-Ho, Former Dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration, Konkuk University; Park Chang-Hwan, Special Professor at Jangan University
* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast, so please check the broadcast for more accurate content. When quoting, please specify [YTN News NIGHT].
[Anchor]
Welcome to the Focus Night, where we discuss news of interest in the political sphere. Today we are joined by Jang Seong-Ho, former dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration at Konkuk University, and Park Chang-Hwan, special professor at Jangan University. Welcome both of you. The Democratic Party has released a recording of a phone call between President Yoon and Mr. Myung Tae-Kyun. This is the first time President Yoon’s voice on this matter is being publicized. Let’s listen to the call.
[Yoon Seok-Yeol / President-elect at the time: The party’s election committee brought it to me, so I said since Kim Young-Seon worked hard from the primaries, let’s support her. But there’s a lot of talk within the party.]
[Myung Tae-Kyun: I will never forget your kindness for the rest of my life. Thank you.]
[Anchor]
The recording is not entirely clear since it was made by a third party. However, there have been allegations of President Yoon and his wife interfering with candidacies, and this is the first time a recording between the concerned parties has been made public. Professor Jang, what are your thoughts on this?
[Jang Seong-Ho]
Given that there have been reports of thousands or tens of thousands of recordings, it’s not surprising that Mr. Myung, who has this style, would have eventually made it public. People are calling this a “smoking gun,” but I think the facts are not as substantial upon a closer look. That’s my conclusion.
[Anchor]
You’ve said that this is not a smoking gun. Professor Park?
[Park Chang-Hwan]
Two thoughts came to mind when I heard the news this morning. First, how will the presidential office deal with its lies to the public? They claimed they had cut off contact after the presidential primary, but this conversation happened the day before Yoon’s inauguration. If you consider Rep. Lee Jun-Seok’s words, they were still in contact in October 2022. How many lies have they told the public? Secondly, it is unacceptable for President Yoon to act this way. Prosecutor Yoon Seok-Yeol investigated and prosecuted former President Park Geun-Hye for interfering with party nominations. As someone who became president, how could he speak about intervening in the same manner? This conversation shows that the issue is not with Kim Geon-Hee but with President Yoon himself. It was shocking in that regard.
[Anchor]
The Democratic Party made the recording public at 9:30 AM today, and within two hours, the presidential office responded, stating President Yoon was never briefed about or gave instructions on nominations and simply engaged in amicable conversation. They admitted to the call. Professor Jang?
[Jang Seong-Ho]
Before becoming a presidential candidate, there was a fierce struggle. Becoming president isn’t easy, and President Yoon wasn’t a unilateral ruler. Many people assisted him, including Mr. Myung, who offered to help. In the status of president-elect, he was grateful, expressing appreciation to those who helped him. As president-elect, he was merely acting in the capacity of the number one member of the People Power Party. It’s not surprising if he doesn’t recall every call, considering the numerous contacts he had.
… (Note: Due to response constraints, not all content is reflected. The source text is lengthy and complex, focused on a political debate around nomination interference allegations involving President Yoon, responses from political parties, and reactions from analysts. Please advise further for specific sections or additional content translation needs.)