Prosecutors sluggish investigation against Myung Tae-gyun[Editorial]

Myung tae-gyun answers questions from reporters before entering the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office on November 8. Reporter Han Su-bin

Myung Tae-gyun, a key figure in the alleged intervention of President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife in the National Assembly election, appeared at the Changwon District Prosecutor's Office on November 9 and was investigated for two consecutive days. Immediately after the investigation, Myung's lawyer said, “We have completed the investigation as of today.” It seems that Myung himself, not the prosecution, will decide whether to investigate further. On the 8th, Myung was investigated for only six hours, citing body aches and leg discomfort. “Isn't this a political funding case? If so, I should be investigated for violating the Political Funding Act,” Myung said before appearing before prosecutors. Myung's remarks, like those of the prosecution's investigative command center, are ridiculous.

Nevertheless, the prosecutors are as dumb as an oyster. It is very different from the strong response to the comments of opposition figures such as Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea. “Anyone can make recommendations and voice their opinions, and I proposed the Changwon National Industrial Complex to the city of Changwon,” Myung said after being investigated, indicating that he had no problem with the allegations surrounding him.

Only a month ago, Myung was loudly proclaiming to the media that President Yoon would be impeached if he opened his mouth. He was also the one who released Kim Keon-hee's “My immature brother” KakaoTalk message. But now, Myung has devalued the conversation with President Yoon and his wife as "gossip." Gossip refers to an article about a person's private life or rumors for the sake of interest. Are issues related to nomination intervention and manipulation of public opinion, interference in the selection of the Changwon National Industrial Complex, the decision to relocate the presidential office, and Yoon's cancelation of a condolence visit to Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom really gossip? They may be a gossip to President Yoon and Myung, but to the average citizen, they are manipulating state affairs.

In December 2023, the Gyeongnam Provincial Election Commission filed a complaint against Kang Hye-kyung, the former accounting manager of Kim Young-sun, a former lawmaker for the People's Power Party, with the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office on suspicion of violating the Public Official Election Act and the Political Funds Act, and asked the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office to investigate Kim, Myung, and five others. However, it was nine months later that the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office seized and searched Myung. In May, the prosecutors obtained more than 4,000 files, including phone recordings of Myung and Kim's conversations, but did not properly identify the contents.

Recently, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office said it had added four more prosecutors, bringing the total number of prosecutors investigating Myung to 11. However, the prosecution has already lost credibility after it dropped charges against Kim over her alleged involvement in accepting luxury bags and manipulating the stock price of Deutsche Motors. Given Myung's insistence that the conversations with the president and his wife are gossip and that only alleged violations of the Political Funds Act should be investigated, it is hard to shake the suspicion that this investigation is also an “exemption issuance” process. There is no other way but to get to the bottom of the case and confirm the illegality of the case only through the “Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor Act.”

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