The controversy surrounding the "Coupang luncheon" involving Democratic Party Floor Leader Kim Byung-joo is escalating beyond a simple explanation of a meal to allegations of power-driven lobbying and personnel interference. Yonhap News

The controversy surrounding the "Coupang luncheon" involving Democratic Party Floor Leader Kim Byung-joo is escalating beyond a simple explanation of a meal to allegations of power-driven lobbying and personnel interference. 

Not only the People Power Party, but also the Progressive Party and the Justice Party have joined the criticism, calling it "inappropriate conduct," and discussions are underway regarding parliamentary hearings and even the necessity of a special prosecutor. 

The core of the issue is the timing. Kim had a private two-and-a-half-hour luncheon with Coupang's then-CEO Park Dae-joon at a five-star hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, in September, just one month before the parliamentary audit. 

At the time, Coupang was a key subject of the parliamentary audit due to a massive personal data leak and issues related to worker fatalities. 

A bigger controversy arose later regarding personnel matters. Allegations surfaced that executives working at Coupang, who were former aides to Kim, received notices of overseas assignments or dismissals, leading to suspicions that Kim had requested unfavorable personnel actions. 

Indeed, recordings of calls with former CEO Park Dae-joon included statements suggesting that Kim had presented relevant materials. 

Kim denies the allegations, stating, "I only asked them to stop a former aide who was using my name for government relations work." However, the former aide retorted, "It seems Assemblyman Kim harbored ill will and exerted influence because he suspected me of being an informant to the media about his misconduct."

Another point of contention is the cost of the meal. Kim claimed, "I ate pasta that cost 38,000 won," but according to media reports, the total cost of the meal was around 700,000 won. Who paid and what was discussed remain unclear. 

The People Power Party officially requested Kim Byung-joo be summoned as a witness to the hearing, stating, "It is dereliction of duty not to summon the person in question as a witness to a hearing, given the allegations of personnel requests and pressure during a luncheon with the head of an audited organization." In particular, they strongly criticized it as "a serious abuse of power if it constitutes the use of one's position as floor leader of the ruling party to exert influence." 

Notably, the Progressive Party and the Justice Party have also demanded an apology and explanation from Kim. They directly stated, "The meeting itself was already an act of being co-opted into Coupang's lobbying efforts," and "A meal with an audited company right before the parliamentary audit is a classic case of conflict of interest." 

Within and outside the political sphere, the argument is being made that "it is difficult to ascertain the truth through a hearing," and "a special prosecutor with compulsory investigative powers is unavoidable to clarify the circumstances of the luncheon, the payer, the extent of personnel interference, and the reality of the presented materials." 

If the ruling party's floor leader, who stands at the core of power, repeatedly claims "innocence" despite being embroiled in allegations of secret meetings with a large corporation, personnel interference, and lobbying controversies, public suspicion will only grow. 

Editorial Department, Hanmi Ilbo