Ex-presidential official’s leaked phone call rattles conservative bloc

In a startling revelation, a leaked phone conversation in which a former presidential official urged a YouTube news channel reporter to discredit the current leader of the ruling People Power Party during the party's leadership race has alarmed the conservative bloc in recent days.

Voice of Seoul, a far-left YouTube-based news channel, recently uploaded an apparent recording of a phone conversation between Kim Dae-nam, formerly the acting secretary for public communication at the presidential office, and one of its reporters, Lee Myung-soo.

In the conversation, Kim asks Lee to “attack” Han Dong-hoon ahead of the People Power Party’s July 23 national convention, where the election for its next chair was being held, claiming that “first lady Kim Keon Hee has (been suffering) because of Han and she would like it if they plan well together to attack him.”

The recording's release comes amid growing speculations of a rift between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Han since January this year, when the current People Power Party chair was the interim leader of the ruling party.

Yoon and Han were reportedly unable to bridge their differences over how the ruling party should deal with Kim Keon Hee's controversial acceptance of a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor at the time. In recent weeks, the pro-Han faction within the ruling party has highlighted the gap in Yoon's and Han's views on the formation of a four-way consultative body -- to include Yoon's office, the ruling and main opposition parties as well as the medical community -- suggested by Han early last month to tackle the prolonged medical crisis here. Han requested that the presidential office schedule a one-on-one meeting with Yoon on the sidelines of a Sept. 24 dinner between the president and the ruling party leadership, to reportedly discuss the medical issue, but the talks failed to take place.

Kim Dae-nam, now an auditor at the state-funded Seoul Guarantee Insurance Co., decided to officially leave the People Power Party, with which he had been affiliated for years as a conservative politician. The announcement was made Wednesday through a statement released via his attorney. His attorney explained that Kim Dae-nam apologizes for the controversy he has caused, but added that the "illegal recording" was reedited in a "malicious manner."

The presidential office on Thursday denied accusations that Yoon and first lady Kim Keon Hee were involved in the alleged attempt to discredit Han, through an official press release.

“(President Yoon and first lady Kim) have no relationship with Kim Dae-nam whatsoever,” the office said.

“We would like to make it clear that it would be wrongful to claim there’s a conflict between the presidential office and the ruling party based on the recordings,” it added.

The office added that Kim Dae-nam criticized Yoon and the first lady in other parts of the same recording.

Han on Thursday told reporters that he plans to take "necessary actions" in line with the People Power Party's decision to launch an investigation on the matter, the previous day.

"(I believe) it is possible (and reasonable) for a party member to report to a normal news agency and request them to write a story (on me). However, such a move to request a far-left YouTube channel to ask them to attack me with false information crosses the line," he said, after attending a government-organized National Foundation Day event in central Seoul.

Han uploaded a post on his Facebook account on Tuesday that read “Someone who is currently an auditor at a state-funded financial institution had directly called a politically left-leaning YouTuber and asked him to attack me -- it is pathetic and embarrassing thinking how the public and the members of our party will view this matter.”

The People Power Party launched an investigation on the case the previous day, with spokesperson Han Zee-a vowing to “uncover the truth through necessary steps.”

The party’s senior spokesperson Rep. Kwak Kyu-taek also warned that the party’s legal team plans to review the matter, hinting they would take legal steps if necessary.

Kim Dae-nam is known to be an avid supporter of Yoon. He served a key role in Yoon's election campaign team ahead of the 2022 presidential election.