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Shadowy political broker Myung Tae-kyun continued to advise first lady after election, say prosecutors

Published: 10 Jan. 2025, 13:18

Self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun leaves the Changwon District Prosecutors' Office in South Gyeongsang after questioning on Nov. 8. [NEWS1]

Prosecutors have determined that political broker Myung Tae-kyun continued to offer advice on state affairs to first lady Kim Keon Hee even after the presidential election.

Myung was summoned by the Changwon District Prosecutors’ Office for investigations on Friday. The summon came 10 days before his second preparatory hearing scheduled for Jan. 20.

Myung reportedly conveyed opinions on major issues such as overseas trips, parliamentary investigations, foreign trade and feedback on President Yoon Suk Yeol's photos distributed to local conservative People Power Party (PPP) offices.

According to the legal community on Thursday, the prosecutors conducted forensic analysis on Myung’s mobile phone, referred to as the "golden phone," and his computer. The analysis revealed conversations between Myung and Kim.

On Nov. 7, 2022, Myung sent a Telegram message to Kim stating, "If the President plans to travel southward during his overseas trip, he must be especially cautious."

Kim reportedly showed interest, replying, "What is the reason? He is going to Cambodia." Myung responded, "With accidents like the Itaewon tragedy occurring, I’ve been having bad dreams because I’m so worried about the president and the first lady. I’m sorry."

Yoon and Kim embarked on a six-day trip to Cambodia and Indonesia on Nov. 11, 2022. During this trip, Kim faced criticism for skipping an official event for spouses of national leaders — a visit to the Angkor Wat temple — instead choosing to visit a home for youth with congenital heart disease in Phnom Penh. Politicians later speculated that Kim’s schedule change might have been influenced by Myung’s "dream story."

Prosecutors are verifying more details of their conversations.

Prosecutors also discovered that Kim had sought Myung’s advice directly. On Nov. 24, 2022, Kim asked Myung on Telegram, "What do you think is the best course of action in this situation?"

This occurred during a clash between the presidential office and PPP floor leader Joo Ho-young over a parliamentary investigation into the Itaewon disaster. A day earlier, on Nov. 23, Joo’s leadership had reached an agreement with opposition parties to proceed with the investigation.

Kim reportedly sought Myung’s input on how to respond to the agreement. Myung replied, expressing concern over why Joo conceded to include the presidential office in the investigation’s scope. He also suggested that members of the investigation committee should include lawmakers skilled in internal coordination, public relations and media strategy. Myung specifically mentioned three lawmakers with prosecutorial backgrounds.

Myung frequently shared unsolicited advice with Kim through Telegram messages. For instance, he suggested increasing South Korea's arms exports to Southeast Asian countries, proposing that payment be accepted in natural resources if dollars were unavailable.

Myung also commented on the background of the president’s photo distributed to regional party offices, saying it was "too dark."

Some Telegram messages exchanged between Kim and Myung were even disclosed by Myung himself on his Facebook page. One such conversation from Apr. 6, 2023 — nearly a year after Yoon’s inauguration — was shared by Myung.

In the message, Kim sent Myung a "circulated rumor" titled, "Kim Keon Hee discusses state affairs with Myung Tae-kyun."

"Oh my, what nonsense,” replied Myung. “So many people in this world deserve divine punishment." Myung later revealed a screen capture of the message on Oct. 22, during a parliamentary audit into Myung's alleged influence on the government.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [[email protected]]