Presidential office's disingenuous explanations on relationship between President and Myung Tae-kyun only raise doubts[Editorial]

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks at the ASEAN-Korea Summit held at the Vientiane National Convention Center in Laos on October 10 (local time). Yonhap News

The presidential office's explanations on the relationship between President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife and Myung Tae-kyun are adding to the confusion. The explanations are often different from the facts, and it has kept its mouth shut to major controversies, which only increases suspicions. It is a problem if the presidential office is in a hurry and fails to grasp basic facts, and it is a bigger problem if it tries to hide something.

There are roughly four main points of explanations that the presidential office has presented so far. Yoon met Myung twice, and their first meeting was made by the introduction of Lee Jun-seok, then leader of the People’s Power Party (PPP). The president did not communicate with Myung after the election within the party to choose a presidential candidate, and Myung did not play an important role during the presidential election. However, based on the parties' statements, the president met with Myung on at least four occasions, including meetings with former lawmaker Kim Young-sun, lawmaker Lee Jun-seok, Kim Jong-in, former chairman of the PPP’s Emergency Committee, and Park Wan-soo, Governor of South Gyeongsang Province. Text messages released by Lee suggest that Myung arranged the meeting between Yoon and Lee.

The meetings between Yoon and Lee Jun-seok, and between Yoon and Kim Jong-in, which were apparently arranged by Myung, were politically significant events in Yoon's presidential campaign. Not to mention the unification of presidential candidates between Yoon and Ahn Cheol-soo. Myung has recently released captures of text messages with Professor Choi Jin-seok, who is close to Ahn, regarding the unification of Yoon and Ahn. Myung also claims that he exchanged text messages with First Lady Kim Keon-hee until at least April, and that he also continued to communicate with Yoon via text messages. The presidential office is silent on the allegations that Myung provided Yoon with free public opinion polls worth 360 million won during the presidential election.

The presidential office's disingenuous explanation and silence on important allegations raises the question of whether it is trying to hide something. President Yoon, who returns home on October 11 from a trip to Southeast Asia, should express his position directly on the suspicions related to Myung, including the provision of free polls. The Changwon District Prosecutor's Office closed an investigation into Myung's alleged violations of the Public Offices Election Act on the 10th, while the investigation into alleged violations of the Political Funds Act is ongoing. The prosecution should fully investigate allegations that Yoon and his wife interfered in the nomination of by-elections and general elections, and that Myung intervened in state affairs, elections, and personnel. Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung should consider establishing a special investigation team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office given the gravity of the case. The National Assembly should also take steps to clarify the truth through a parliamentary inspection of state administration.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.