Kim Tae-yeol, the registered CEO of the ‘Future Korea Research Institute’, a public opinion polling company known to have been virtually run by ‘political broker’ Myung Tae-gyun, said on the 13th that the posts about him posted by Myung on social networking service (SNS) were “all outright lies.” He countered.
The day before, Mr. Myung posted on his Facebook page, “Director Kim Tae-yeol, who was receiving 2 million won a month, invested over 100 million won in the Geoje OB general industrial complex and lost it all? He posted a message criticizing Director Kim, saying, “Let’s be a boss like that too.”
Myung Tae-gyun, a key figure in the case, including suspicions of involvement in first lady Kim Kun-hee’s nomination and illegal public opinion polls by the Institute for Future Korea, is coming out after completing an investigation at the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office (Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office) in Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do on the 8th. News 1
Mr. Myeong continued by asking, “Why did Kim Tae-yeol and Kang Hye-kyung deposit the money they received from local election candidates into their personal bank accounts?”
Mr. Myeong’s sniping post is interpreted as a ploy to shift the blame to Director Kim and Kang Hye-kyung, who was the accounting manager for former People Power Party National Assembly member Kim Young-sun, while the prosecution’s investigation is ongoing on charges of violating the Political Fund Act.
Director Kim said in a phone call with Segye Ilbo that day, “It was around January 2022 when I used an IOU with preliminary candidates for local elections, and at that time, I received 120 million won each from two preliminary candidates.” “These two people were eliminated from the nomination,” he said.
The local election candidates mentioned by Director Kim are suspected of giving political funds of 120 million won each, or a total of 240 million won, to Mr. Myeong in exchange for his nomination during the June 2022 local election.
Director Kim claimed, “Out of the 130 million won I spent on the Geoje stone mine-related business, 100 million won was raised from acquaintances, including my wife and her friend, and that was in July 2022.”
He also refuted, saying, “The remaining 30 million won was also obtained from an acquaintance, and the timing was September 2022, long after the nomination had already passed,” and “It has nothing to do with the money that Myung said he received from the prospective candidate.”
At the same time, Director Kim said, “Mr. Myung said that I received money through his account, but all the money received from the two prospective candidates was received in cash, and this was delivered to Mr. Kang,” adding, “Mr. Kang is well aware of this fact.”
Director Kim also said about the 5 million won that Mr. Myeong received from Mrs. Kim Kun-hee, “Mr. Myung went up with former Rep. Kim’s driver at the time, and he said he received a daily salary (from Ms. Kim) to pay for the car. The amount was 5 million won,” he said, adding, “I told the driver. “When I asked, ‘You must have received about 1 million won,’ I heard from the driver that (Mr. Myeong) did not give even 10,000 won to the driver.”
Director Kim added, “Mr. Kang also said that he was appalled when he saw the post posted on Mr. Myeong’s Facebook.”
The prosecution, which is investigating this case, is known to have obtained a photo of an envelope of money believed to have been given to Myeong by Mrs. Kim from Myeong’s cell phone.
The prosecution is investigating the source, name, timing, and amount of the money envelope against Mr. Myeong and others.
In the request for arrest warrant for Mr. Myeong, the prosecution said, “This case is about Mr. Myeong, who showed off his close relationship with politicians such as the People Power Party leader and the presidential candidate couple, and nominated 4-term National Assembly member Kim Young-sun to receive 2 votes from prospective candidates who wanted to be nominated in local elections. “This is a case where 40 million won was awarded,” he said.
He continued, “When the President was elected, he further showed off his close relationship with the President’s couple and close associates, saying that thanks to him, Kim Young-sun received a strategic nomination in the 21st National Assembly by-election, and that he would ensure that she can receive a strategic nomination in future elections as well.” “It was a case where half of the tax was demanded,” he defined.
At the same time, he pointed out, “This is an incident where an ordinary person claimed to have been involved in a political party’s nomination process and even made economic gains through it, which directly undermined the representative democratic system stipulated by the Constitution.”
The substantive warrant examination of Mr. Myeong, former lawmaker Kim, and two preliminary candidates for the 2022 local elections who each gave 120 million won in exchange for nomination is scheduled to be held one by one from 2 p.m. on the 14th.
Changwon = Reporter Kang Seung-woo ksw@segye.com
(ⓒ Segye Ilbo & Segye.com, unauthorized reproduction and redistribution prohibited)
Source: www.segye.com
