Kim Yong, former deputy head of the Democratic Research Institute, holds a news conference at the National Assembly on the 13th. He was taken into custody on allegations of receiving money from the Daejang-dong group and was later released on bail last year. [Photo=Yonhap]
Calls inside the Democratic Party to nominate Kim Yong, former deputy head of the Democratic Research Institute, for a parliamentary by-election being held alongside the June 3 local elections are growing, but party leader Chung Cheong-rae has maintained a cautious stance, citing “public standards.”
Chung visited Daegu on Saturday and attended the opening of the campaign office for Daegu mayoral candidate Kim Boo-kyum, continuing election-related field events. He did not address Kim Yong’s nomination.
At a party leadership meeting on April 22, Chung said, in remarks seen as aimed at Kim, “The core strategy of every election is the public’s standards and the perspective of winning.” On the same day, Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae told CBS Radio’s “Park Sung-tae’s News Show” that the party was “reviewing it comprehensively,” while indicating there were many negative views within the party.
Cho said there were competing arguments: that political consideration was needed for what some describe as a victim of a “fabricated indictment” by “political prosecutors,” and that the nomination would not be appropriate in the eyes of the public. Since then, party leaders have largely avoided commenting on the issue.
As the leadership stays cautious, more lawmakers have publicly urged Kim’s nomination. Rep. Ahn Ho-young wrote on Facebook on Saturday that “Kim must run” to secure victory in the by-election.
Kim, described as a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, has openly sought the party’s nomination in Gyeonggi Province’s Ansan Gap district. He posted on Facebook a day earlier, “I’ve had a run of luck with TV appearances lately, so maybe nomination luck will come, too.”
Kim’s side claims about 60 Democratic Party lawmakers want him to run. Supreme Council members including Reps. Lee Eon-ju, Kang Deuk-gu and Hwang Myung-sun, as well as senior lawmakers including Reps. Cho Jung-sik, Kim Tae-nyeon and Park Jie-won, are said to agree on the need to nominate him.
The party leadership, which has remained silent, is expected to decide by late this month or early next month. The party plans to finalize strategic nominations for by-elections, including Ansan Gap, by early next month.
Chung visited Daegu on Saturday and attended the opening of the campaign office for Daegu mayoral candidate Kim Boo-kyum, continuing election-related field events. He did not address Kim Yong’s nomination.
At a party leadership meeting on April 22, Chung said, in remarks seen as aimed at Kim, “The core strategy of every election is the public’s standards and the perspective of winning.” On the same day, Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae told CBS Radio’s “Park Sung-tae’s News Show” that the party was “reviewing it comprehensively,” while indicating there were many negative views within the party.
Cho said there were competing arguments: that political consideration was needed for what some describe as a victim of a “fabricated indictment” by “political prosecutors,” and that the nomination would not be appropriate in the eyes of the public. Since then, party leaders have largely avoided commenting on the issue.
As the leadership stays cautious, more lawmakers have publicly urged Kim’s nomination. Rep. Ahn Ho-young wrote on Facebook on Saturday that “Kim must run” to secure victory in the by-election.
Kim, described as a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, has openly sought the party’s nomination in Gyeonggi Province’s Ansan Gap district. He posted on Facebook a day earlier, “I’ve had a run of luck with TV appearances lately, so maybe nomination luck will come, too.”
Kim’s side claims about 60 Democratic Party lawmakers want him to run. Supreme Council members including Reps. Lee Eon-ju, Kang Deuk-gu and Hwang Myung-sun, as well as senior lawmakers including Reps. Cho Jung-sik, Kim Tae-nyeon and Park Jie-won, are said to agree on the need to nominate him.
The party leadership, which has remained silent, is expected to decide by late this month or early next month. The party plans to finalize strategic nominations for by-elections, including Ansan Gap, by early next month.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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