Pro-Yoon lawmaker quizzed in special counsel probe

Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun of the People Power Party appears for questioning by the special counsel in Seoul on Sunday. (Yonhap)

Rep. Yoon Sang-hyun, a lawmaker of the conservative People Power Party, was questioned Sunday by investigators looking into influence-peddling allegations against Kim Keon Hee, former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s wife.

The five-time lawmaker, who was considered one of Yoon Suk Yeol’s leading supporters, appeared for questioning at the office of the special counsel leading the investigation. Asked about his stance on claims he had helped Yoon and Kim interfere in the party’s nomination process for a National Assembly by-election, he said he would "faithfully cooperate with" the investigation.

His questioning follows a search and seizure operation to raid his home and his office at the National Assembly on July 8.

The 62-year-old lawmaker, who led the People Power Party’s candidate nomination for a June 2022 parliamentary by-election, was allegedly involved in arranging for the People Power Party to choose Kim Young-sun as the candidate for a legislative seat representing a constituency in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province.

The constituency was considered a right-wing stronghold, and Kim was nominated by Rep. Yoon to run as the People Power Party's candidate for the by-election. Kim won the election and served in the National Assembly until May 2024.

Before Yoon’s botched Dec. 3 martial law attempt, the Democratic Party of Korea revealed in late October a recording of a phone conversation between the former president and Myung Tae-kyun, who was a political consultant for the ex-president during his presidential campaign.

In the phone call, Yoon, who won the presidential election in March 2022, told Myung that he had insisted to Rep. Yoon that Kim Young-sun be chosen to run for a parliamentary seat. Myung, who ran an election polling and forecasting company, said he would "never forget kindness." The phone call was recorded just before Yoon was inaugurated in May 2022, according to the Democratic Party.

A separate probe by the prosecution in December indicated that Kim had wired some 80 million won ($58,000) in 11 installments in 2022 to Myung, in violation of the Political Funds Act. Both Kim Young-sun and Myung were held awaiting trial for about five months but were released in April. The criminal court cases against them are ongoing.

While appearing for questioning Sunday, Rep. Yoon declined to answer a reporter’s question over whether he discussed with the former president about candidate nominations.