Photo : YONHAP News
Anchor: Amid rising controversy over his alleged ties to first lady Kim Keon-hee, power broker Myung Tae-kyun has revealed a captured image of an online messenger conversation between the two. In an apparent attempt to prove he’s close to the presidential couple, Myung disclosed a fragment of an online chat in which the first lady apologizes for the behavior of an unnamed man she calls “oppa.” As rival parties are at odds over this person’s identity, the main opposition Democratic Party is demanding the first lady to appear before the parliamentary steering committee.
Kim Bum-soo has more.
Report: A newly disclosed online messenger chat between first lady Kim Keon-hee and power broker Myung Tae-kyun has added fuel to the growing controversy over her alleged role in political affairs.
In messages captured in a screenshot, the first lady apologizes for someone she refers to as her “oppa,” the Korean word for an older brother, who she said “spoke immaturely” out of “ignorance.”
In everyday conversation, “oppa” also often refers to a romantic partner or husband.
The first lady expresses embarrassment over the man’s behavior and says she is counting on Myung in the current situation, the nature of which isn’t clear from the brief chat.
The self-proclaimed political consultant revealed the conversation Tuesday on social media, saying it was his response to a ruling party official who’d accused him of bragging and exaggerating his relationship with the presidential couple.
The presidential office immediately issued a statement acknowledging that Myung and Kim spoke online, but before Yoon joined the People Power Party in 2021, and insisted that the “oppa” mentioned in the message was the first lady’s brother.
Myung, believed to be in his mid-50s, is suspected of meddling in the ruling party’s candidate nomination process ahead of the April general elections, with the first lady allegedly playing a role.
More recently, fresh allegations have emerged that Myung manipulated the results of an opinion poll his company conducted in the run-up to the presidential primary in 2021, supposedly inflating data in Yoon’s favor.
The latest disclosure has led to yet another round of political wrangling with the ruling and opposition parties at odds over what role, if any, the power broker played in elections and why Kim chose to confide in him.
The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) on Wednesday decided to summon first lady Kim Keon-hee, her older brother and Myung as parliamentary audit witnesses, having unilaterally pushed its witness list through a standing committee.
Kim Bum-soo, KBS World Radio News.