Ruling People Power Party Chairman Han Dong-hoon has urged President Yoon Suk Yeol to apologize to the public and overhaul his Cabinet and top office personnel amid growing turmoil over allegations that the presidential couple interfered in party nominations.

Speaking Monday at the party’s Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly, Han said Yoon should issue the apology and provide an honest, straightforward explanation.

The ruling party chief also reiterated his calls for first lady Kim Keon-hee to call an immediate halt to her public activities, and to appoint a special inspector to prevent a recurrence of the current controversies.

Han’s remarks came four days after the main opposition Democratic Party released an audio file of a phone conversation between Yoon and Myung Tae-kyun, a power broker and key figure in the snowballing political scandal.

The recording seems to suggest that Yoon used his influence to help a former ruling party lawmaker win the ruling party nomination for a by-election in June 2022.