Myung Tae-kyun investigated for election interference scandal
Myung Tae-kyun, accused of fabricating polls to influence the election candidacies of conservative political figures, was summoned for questioning Tuesday morning, in a widening investigation into his alleged corrupt ties with the former presidential couple and the Seoul mayor.
The pollster's summons to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office suggests that the investigation into his alleged ties with Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, and former First Lady Kim Keon-hee is approaching a critical stage, according to local reports.
According to the prosecution, Oh allegedly enlisted the pollster's help to conduct 13 unpublished polls, with businessperson and supporter Kim Han-jung covering the costs. Additionally, Kang Hye-kyung, a former member of Myung's polling agency, reportedly received 33 million won ($22,900) from Kim in 2021.
'I came all the way from Changwon to Seoul to bring Oh Se-hoon down,' Myung told reporters after arriving at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Tuesday.
When asked about the number of times he met Seoul Mayor Oh, Myung claimed that there is clear evidence and witnesses proving that the two met at least seven times.
But the mayor, who said in November last year that he remembered meeting Myung twice through the introduction of Kim Han-jung around mid-to-late January 2021, reportedly stated that it is regrettable to live in a society where criminals can speak so brazenly.
The mayor urged the prosecution to conduct a thorough investigation and take firm action against criminals, making them stop deceiving society with lies and distortions.
Myung has also been embroiled in another political scandal, claiming that he advised disgraced former President Yoon and his wife during the 2022 presidential campaign, and alleging that he was offered a public position following the election.
The controversy deepened when the Democratic Party of Korea released an audio recording suggesting Yoon had discussed a by-election nomination with Myung, following allegations that former first lady Kim had meddled in the ruling party's candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
After being indicted and detained on charges of violating the Political Funds Act in December 2024, Myung confessed that he tried to manipulate public opinion at the request of top ruling party politicians, including Oh. The political broker claimed that he played a crucial role in facilitating Oh's Seoul mayoral by-election win in 2021.
Though Oh's supporter Kim admitted that he had sent money to Kang during the prosecution investigation in March, he claimed that it had nothing to do with covering public opinion poll expenses. It had merely been an attempt to leave a good impression of Oh to Myung, who claimed to have ties with former President Yoon, he said.
Oh previously denied allegations of receiving any polling-related data from Myung and filed a complaint against him for deception and obstruction of business charges last year.
Meanwhile, Tuesday's investigation is also seen as the prosecutor's effort to expand the ongoing investigation into the election nomination scandals involving the former presidential couple.
Myung is suspected of receiving about 90 million won from a former lawmaker of the People Power Party, Kim Young-sun, on several occasions between 2022 to 2024. This was allegedly in exchange for Myung's help in getting her nominated on the party ticket ahead of the 2022 by-elections.
He allegedly earned the nomination for Kim by conducting multiple customized polls in favor of then-presidential candidate Yoon for free. The prosecution suspects the former first lady was involved in the nomination process as well.
When asked about the possible election interference by Yoon and Kim, the pollster said that the prosecution will make its own judgment, as it has already conducted extensive raids and questioned many witnesses.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office did not only carry out search and seizure operations at the residence and office of Seoul Mayor Oh in mid-March, but also investigated the individuals who are connected to former President's Yoon's alleged election interference, including former Gangseo-gu Mayor Kim Tae-woo, Pyeongtaek Mayor Kong Jae-kwang and more, in April.
Tuesday's investigation marked Myung's first public appearance after he was released from Changwon Correctional Institution after the court granted bail to him in early April, nearly five months after his arrest on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.
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