Presidential Office Denies President Lee Had Phone Call With Kim Kwan-young... Dismisses Speculation of Independent Run Consultation

Lee Gyuyoun: "No consultation or communication with any specific candidate regarding the election"
Kim Kwan-young's remarks on "explaining the inevitability of candidacy" spark controversy
Democratic Party criticizes "exploiting the President's repu

The Blue House announced on the 27th that "Candidate Kim Kwan-young has never spoken with the President" in response to independent Jeonbuk gubernatorial candidate Kim Kwan-young's remarks regarding a phone call with President Lee Jae-myung. Kim's statement, in which he suggested that he had explained the inevitability of his independent candidacy to President Lee, became a key issue toward the end of the Jeonbuk governor election. In response, the Blue House directly denied any phone conversation, aiming to quell controversy over possible election interference.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the 1st Future Defense Strategy Committee held in Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam on the 26th. 2026.5.26 Yonhap News Agency Photo by Yonhap News

Lee Kyuyon, Senior Secretary to the President for Public Communication, made this statement during a briefing at Chunchugwan when asked about the Blue House's stance on Kim's claim that he spoke with the President prior to his independent bid. Lee added, "Neither the President nor the Blue House engages in discussions or coordination with any specific candidate in relation to elections." He continued, "We ask that the President and the Blue House not be used as subjects in elections or political disputes." The Blue House had already stated the previous day, in response to Kim's remarks, that "elections are the domain of candidates and voters," urging people to refrain from making the President and the Blue House an election issue.

The controversy began with Kim's comments during a radio interview. On the 20th, appearing on Jeonbuk CBS's "Radio X," Kim was asked whether he had any communication with President Lee during his process of running as an independent. He responded, "I have, in fact, spoken to the President about the inevitability of my independent candidacy."

The Democratic Party immediately pushed back. Kang Junhyeon, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party, stated at a press conference at the National Assembly on the 24th, "After confirming the facts through the Blue House, it is entirely untrue," and criticized, "This is a political ploy to bask in the President's prestige and a slanderous act of falsely invoking the President." Jeong Cheongrae, the Democratic Party leader, also said at a Central Election Committee meeting in Jeongeup, Jeonbuk, on the 25th, "Upon checking with the Blue House, they flatly denied it, saying it was not true," and targeted Kim by saying, "Is this not the serious dissemination of false information?" Jeong further commented, "This goes far beyond what is acceptable."

Kim's camp moved to clarify as the controversy grew. In a statement on the 24th, Kim's election committee said, "Candidate Kim has never attempted to use or leverage the President for the election, nor does he have any such intention," and expressed regret that "the intent of his remarks was misinterpreted, leading to unnecessary controversy." On the 26th, appearing on YTN Radio's "Jang Sungchul's News Myeongdang," Kim reiterated, "I have absolutely no intention of using or leveraging the President for the election." He explained that since President Lee had recruited him when he was the leader of the Democratic Party, he felt it only proper to inform him about his decision to run as an independent.

The Jeonbuk governor election has attracted attention due to the independent run of the incumbent governor in a region that is a stronghold for the Democratic Party. Kim, after being disqualified as the party's candidate during the Democratic primary, launched an independent campaign, while the Democratic Party is proceeding with Lee Wontak as its main candidate for the general election. Against this backdrop, Kim's mention of the President has sparked a "Myungshim" controversy, emerging as a major variable in the final stretch of the election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.