South Korea's president denies wrongdoing in a growing scandal

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol denied wrongdoing Thursday successful a burgeoning influence-peddling ungraded involving him and his woman that’s severely hurting his support ratings and providing governmental munition to his rivals.

The governmental firestorm coincides pinch South Korea facing a slew of captious overseas argumentation issues, specified arsenic Donald Trump’s predetermination win to go nan adjacent president of nan United States and North Korea’s reported introduction into nan Russia-Ukraine war.

The ungraded centers astir allegations that Yoon and first woman Kim Keon Hee exerted inappropriate power connected nan ruling People Power Party to prime a definite campaigner to tally for a parliamentary by-election successful 2022 astatine nan petition of Myung Tae-kyun, an predetermination agent and laminitis of a polling agency who conducted free sentiment surveys for Yoon earlier he became president.

For weeks, nan ungraded has been making headlines successful South Korea arsenic Myung's leaked telephone conversations show he boasted of his power complete nan statesmanlike mates and different apical ruling statement officials.

Asked astir his ties pinch Myung during a property convention Thursday, Yoon said, “I didn’t do thing inappropriate and person thing to hide regarding Myung Tae-kyun.”

Yoon said he has ne'er meddled successful immoderate campaigner information processes astatine nan PPP, and had ne'er asked Myung to transportation retired surveys for him, though he acknowledged that Myung gave him immoderate benignant of thief during his statesmanlike superior run successful 2021.

It’s unclear whether Yoon’s connection will easiness his festering governmental strife pinch his governmental opponents. The main wide guidance Democratic Party has demanded he apologize sincerely, reshuffle apical officials and judge an independent investigation connected his wife.

The Democratic Party precocious shared what it said was an audio record of telephone calls betwixt Yoon and Myung connected May 9, 2022 — a time earlier Yoon took agency for a azygous five-year term. The guidance statement alleges that nan speech proves Yoon provided Myung pinch governmental favors successful return for free surveys.

In nan audio file, Yoon tin beryllium heard telling Myung that he asked a PPP committee to prime elder statement personnel Kim Young-sun to tally for 1 of nan parliamentary by-elections nan pursuing month. Kim Young-sun yet obtained nan party’s information and won nan election.

In nan file, Myung is heard saying, “I really won’t hide this favour for my full life. Thank you!”

South Korea’s predetermination rule bars nationalist servants, including nan president, from meddling successful elections, but has nary related clauses connected a president-elect, truthful it's unclear whether Yoon violated nan law.

Recent surveys showed Yoon's support standing fell beneath 20% for nan first clip since his inauguration. Kim Keon Hee has been grappling pinch others scandals, specified arsenic spy camera footage purportedly showing her accepting a luxury bag arsenic a gift from a pastor.

Yoon apologized for causing nationalist concerns astir him and his wife, but stressed that galore of nan allegations raised were not accordant pinch nan facts.

Some ruling statement lawmakers person accused nan Democratic Party of deliberately ramping up governmental attacks connected Yoon and his woman successful an effort to rescue its embattled leader, Lee Jae-myung, from ineligible troubles.

Lee, a firebrand lawmaker who narrowly mislaid to Yoon successful nan 2022 statesmanlike election, is undergoing 4 abstracted tests complete corruption and various different allegations. The first 2 territory tribunal rulings connected Lee complete his predetermination rule usurpation and perjury charges are group for Nov. 15 and Nov. 25. Prison sentences aliases a good of much than 1 cardinal won ($750) connected nan predetermination rule lawsuit would unseat Lee arsenic a lawmaker and disqualify him from moving successful elections for 5 years, though he is apt to entreaty immoderate blameworthy verdict.

Surveys show Lee is nan early favourite for nan 2027 statesmanlike title to win Yoon.

On overseas policy, Yoon — who has worked intimately pinch Washington and Tokyo to solidify information practice successful nan look of North Korean threats — expressed optimism that nan three-way business will proceed to grow nether Trump’s government. He said he wants to meet Trump and new Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba soon to coordinate policies.

During his erstwhile presidency, Trump engaged successful highly orchestrated nuclear summits pinch North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Yoon noted that North Korea’s arsenal has importantly precocious since Trump’s diplomacy pinch Kim collapsed successful 2019 owed to disagreements complete U.S.-led sanctions connected nan North.

Yoon said Trump “will beryllium receiving broad reports very soon astir really North Korea’s atomic technologies and capabilities person changed since then, including assets for illustration reconnaissance satellites that are straight linked to intercontinental ballistic missiles technologies.”

“After he receives these reports, I deliberation we tin person much meaningful and in-depth discussions erstwhile we person nan opportunity to meet," Yoon said.

When asked astir concerns that Trump’s “America first” attack would harm South Korean interests successful waste and acquisition done increased tariffs and different measures, Yoon said Seoul was making “multifaceted efforts to minimize nan losses to our people’s economy.”

“Things can’t beryllium precisely nan aforesaid arsenic they were during nan Biden administration,” he said, “but we person been preparing to hedge these risks for a agelong time."