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'Political broker,' ex-PPP lawmaker acquitted of political funds charges

Published: 05 Feb. 2026, 18:21 Updated: 05 Feb. 2026, 18:51

Self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun, left, and former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun leave the Changwon District Court in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, after the first trial hearing on Feb. 5. [NEWS1]

Self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun and former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun, key figures in allegations that former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee intervened in party nominations, were acquitted at their first trial on charges of violating the Political Funds Act.

The Changwon District Court acquitted Myung and Kim of the political funds charges on Thursday. However, the court found Myung guilty of instructing another person to conceal evidence and sentenced him to six months in prison, suspended for one year.

Prosecutors had sought five-year prison sentences for both Myung and Kim on charges of violating the Political Funds Act and a one-year sentence for Myung on the charge of instructing someone to conceal evidence.

Myung’s legal team argued that the money that he received from Rep. Kim was payment for his work performed as the general director of her local constituency office and was unrelated to political funds connected to a nomination.

Kim also denied the charges, saying that she only repaid a loan provided by Kang Hye-kyung, who served as the lawmaker's former accounting manager, and therefore did not constitute political funds.

The court ruled that the money exchanged between Myung and Rep. Kim did not amount to political funds.

Self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun is seen in front of the Changwon District Court in Changwon, South Gyeongsang, after the first trial hearing on Feb. 5. [NEWS1]

Under the Political Funds Act, no one may give or receive funds in connection with recommending a specific person as a candidate in a public election.

“It is clearly established that Myung worked as general director,” the court said. “Considering that Myung repeatedly demanded debt repayment from [Rep.] Kim and Kang, and that [Rep.] Kim acknowledged the debt's existence during phone calls with Kang, the money cannot be regarded as political funds.”

However, the court found Myung guilty of instructing his brother-in-law to conceal three mobile phones, including the “golden phone,” and one USB storage device during the investigation, ruling that “there was intent to conceal evidence.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]