The main opposition Democratic Party has called for a thorough investigation into allegations that first lady Kim Keon-hee intervened in the process of nominating a political candidate, saying there is proof.

The party’s team looking into suspicions surrounding power broker Myung Tae-kyun made the appeal Tuesday as it played an audio file of a conversation between Kim and Myung, pointing to the file as proof that the first lady meddled in the process to assist former lawmaker Kim Young-sun. 

The party obtained the audio file from a report released a day earlier by a weekly current affairs publication called the Sisa IN.

In the conversation, Kim Keon-hee is heard telling Myung not to worry and Myung expresses gratitude in return. 

The investigation team is holding the conversation up as evidence that the first lady attempted to get Kim Young-sun nominated as the ruling People Power Party candidate in a by-election in June 2022.