Presidential office denies nomination allegations

[Anchor]

The presidential office stated that President Yoon did not receive any reports related to nominations during his time as the president-elect, nor did he give any instructions regarding nominations.

Lawmakers from the People Power Party, including Yoon Sang-hyun, who was the head of the nomination management committee during the 2022 by-election, has also completely denied the allegations.

The legal affairs committee members of the People Power Party analyzed that the contents of the call do not pose any legal issues.

Kim Min-cheol reports.

[Report]

The presidential office dismissed the Democratic Party's claims, stating that then-president-elect Yoon Suk Yeol did not receive or give any instructions regarding nominations from the nomination management committee.

Regarding the call, they said, "Myung Tae-kyun was just talking positively about the nomination of candidate Kim Yeong-seon, so it was just a friendly conversation."

The presidential office also mentioned, "It was one of many congratulatory calls for the inauguration, so it was a routine call that is not memorable."

On Oct. 8, the presidential office announced that a politician from the People Power Party advised Yoon to distance himself from Myung around the end of the primary, and they stated that they do not recall having exchanged messages or calls with him afterward.

The presidential office emphasized that the decision-makers for nominations at that time were party leader Lee Jun-seok and nomination management committee head Yoon Sang-hyun.

In response, Lee Jun-seok, Reform Party member, stated that he was asked by Myung to support candidate Kim but only explained the principles according to the party's constitution and regulations, while Yoon Sang-hyun denied the allegations, stating that as the head of the nomination committee, he does not get swayed by surrounding opinions.

[Yoon Sang-hyun/Member of the People Power Party/Head of the Nomination Management Committee for the 2022 By-election: "You should look at the overall context, it is inappropriate to make assumptions based on a few recordings. I brought it from the nomination committee? I have never done that 100%."]

The legal affairs committee members of the People Power Party analyzed in their internal legal review that "the status of the president-elect is not subject to election law, so there are no issues, and even if opinions were expressed to the nomination committee at that time, it also does not violate the election law."

[Kweon Seong-dong/Member of the People Power Party: "As a member of the party, I can present various opinions. If presenting opinions is considered interference in party affairs, then we should tell them to leave the party."]

There are claims that since there seems to be no substance to the case, it will end up being a "storm in a teacup," and that real election interference would need to be at the level of intervening in the Ulsan mayoral election.

The leader of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, has not made any statements, but lawmaker Cho Kyoung-tae, who is close to him, mentioned the need for an audit of party affairs.

Tomorrow (11.1), during the National Assembly's audit of the presidential office, former lawmaker Kim Yeong-seon's former accounting officer, Kang Hye-kyung, is expected to appear as a witness, leading to anticipated clashes between the ruling and opposition parties.

KBS News, Kim Min-cheol.