[News Today] NATURE OF CASH GIFT IN QUESTION

[LEAD]
Despite the prosecution's arrest warrant request, allegations continue to swirl around political broker Myung Tae-kyun. He confirmed that he received money from the first lady. Now the nature of the money is drawing controversy.

[REPORT]
The prosecution secured a testimony from Kang Hye-kyung, the accountant for ex-legislator Kim Young-sun, stating that Myung Tae-kyun had bragged about receiving five million won, over 3,500 U.S. dollars, from the first lady after the presidential election.

They also found a picture of a cash envelope supposedly given by the first lady.

It's important to ascertain the purpose of the money as Myung is alleged to have conducted free public opinion polls for the president.

Even after admitting at the prosecutors' office that he had received the money, Myung reportedly downplayed its significance by saying the money was for transportation expenses.

Kang Hye-kyung (Nov. 13, "Kim Jong-bae's Focus" on MBC)
"I never heard that the money was for transportation expenses. Since the First Lady gave it to Myung as motivation, I saw it as sort of an incentive."

Myung is also alleged to have rode on the presidential train with the first lady when she visited Bongha Village in June 2022 after President Yoon Suk Yeol was inaugurated.

He also hasn't provided any answers to the allegation that he had known in advance President Yoon's schedule at the Changwon industrial complex in the same month.

Yun Jong-kun/ DP representative
I believe the train was for important government figures. We need to dispel public suspicion on whether a civilian had boarded the train.

The prosecution wrote on the arrest warrant request only that Myung had claimed a close relationship with the President and his wife.

What prosecutors need to investigate from this point on is how close they were and whether their relationship had anything to do with the nomination of ex-lawmaker Kim Young-sun.

Although the prosecution failed to obtain the original recording of the phone call with President Yoon, Myung's KakaoTalk messages recovered through computer forensics could provide clues to the context.

The messages secured by the prosecution include the conversations Myung had with then President-elect Yoon, People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, and the PPP emergency committee chair Kim Chong-in.