Yoon Suk-yeol's Call and Nominations Controversy

The Blue House acknowledged a phone call between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Myung-si, but clarified that the President did not intervene in nomination decisions. The call occurred before Yoon's inauguration, with Lee Jun-seok and Yoon Sang-hyun as the primary decision-makers regarding nominations at that time. The contents of the call related to the nomination of former lawmaker Kim Young-sun were deemed insignificant, emphasizing that Yoon is determined to dispel any allegations of involvement in the nomination processes. This conversation was made public by the opposition party, leading President Yoon to convene an urgent luncheon meeting with about ten aides, including chief secretary Chung Jin-seok, to discuss countermeasures. A Blue House official indicated that President Yoon could not recall the details of the call, noting that many received congratulatory calls at that time and suggesting that he might have returned the call while considering the relationships from the early days of the presidential campaign. The opposition is expected to amplify its attacks on the government following this incident, and the political repercussions are highly anticipated.