Kim Keon Hee and Myung Tae-gyun Finally Meet Face-to-Face... Myung: "No Connection to Yeongseon Kim's Nomination"

[Financial News] Kim Keon Hee, who is on trial for alleged involvement in nomination interference, faced another key figure, Myung Tae-gyun. Myung stressed that Kim’s remarks to former People Power Party lawmaker Yeongseon Kim were merely words of encouragement and unrelated to the nomination process.
On the 22nd, Criminal Division 27 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Insung Woo, held the third hearing for Kim Keon Hee, who faces charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, the Political Funds Act, and receiving mediation bribes under the Special Act.
At this hearing, Myung Tae-gyun, a central figure in the nomination interference allegations, appeared as a witness.
During the trial, Myung insisted he had no connection to the Mirae Korea Research Institute (MKRI), which was responsible for polling. When the special prosecutor asked if he had overseen the polls through Kang Hae-kyung, Myung replied, "The media reports that I am the president of MKRI, but I am not. It has been proven that I have no ties. Kang was a low-level employee—how would I know her?" In response to Mr. Kim’s statement that Myung was the de facto operator of MKRI, Myung reiterated, "Mr. Kim said he was the president of MKRI, so I don’t understand the question," again denying any involvement.
Myung also became emotional, claiming the prosecution’s investigation had destroyed his family. He stated, "My life has been ruined for a year," and added, "I wish the discussion would focus on what I conveyed to Kim Keon Hee and former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The prosecution has devastated a family." Despite attempts by the court and the special prosecutor to calm the situation, the heated exchanges continued for some time.
Before appearing in court, Myung told reporters that Kang Hae-kyung’s testimony—that Myung said Kim’s nomination was a gift from Kim Keon Hee—was simply meant to encourage Kang and had nothing to do with the nomination. Regarding Kang’s claim of "81 cases totaling 370 million won," Myung countered, "The prosecution and I confirmed only 14 cases, of which 10 were public and 4 were internal surveys."
He continued, "The last poll I provided to Kim Keon Hee was on September 4. The primary was on November 5—how could that have any impact? The last ones I gave to Yoon Suk Yeol were on September 21, September 30, and October 21."
Additionally, Myung argued that providing polls could not constitute nomination interference or compensation. He explained that professors often join election camps as experts in various fields, bringing market and opinion research with them. Myung asserted that this logic means it cannot be considered compensation for nominations. He added, "If that’s the case, then everyone who was in the camps of presidential candidates Lee Jae Myung and Kim Moon-soo received bribes. If those people later joined the transition committee or government ministries, would that mean they all accepted bribes?"
Meanwhile, a Chanel employee also appeared as a witness regarding Kim Keon Hee’s receipt of a Chanel bag earlier that morning. The employee, identified as A, had served Kyeong-ok Yu, a former presidential office administrator and close aide to Kim Keon Hee. Yu reportedly received a Chanel bag from Jeon Seong-bae, also known as 'Geonjin Bopsa,' and exchanged it for other types of bags.
A testified that Yu made a video call with someone while showing the product and seeking their opinion. Yu also asked about available colors while exchanging the bag in person. A said the voice on the call sounded like a woman in her 40s or 50s, similar to Kim Keon Hee’s voice. When Kim Keon Hee’s defense asked how A could recall the situation so clearly, A replied, "I have a good memory, and the situation was unusual, so it stuck with me."
theknight@fnnews.com Jeong Kyung-soo Reporter