The Democratic Party has decided to apply an exception regarding the candidacy eligibility of lawmakers Song Young-gil and Kim Yong, who have faced controversy over their qualifications for the upcoming party convention in August. This decision allows both Song and Kim, who have declared their candidacies for party leader and supreme council member, respectively, to maintain their eligibility.
On the morning of July 17, the Democratic Party held a closed supreme council meeting at the National Assembly, where it was decided to uphold the candidacy qualifications of Song and Kim.
Kang Jun-hyun, the party's chief spokesperson, spoke to reporters after the meeting, stating, "The supreme council conducted a vote on whether to apply exceptions regarding the candidacy eligibility of Song and Kim. The results will be submitted to the party affairs committee. In other words, the supreme council has determined to apply exceptions for them."
Kang also announced that an emergency meeting of the party affairs committee would be convened at 3 PM to discuss the application of the exception for Song and Kim's candidacy eligibility.
Following the decision made at the supreme council meeting, members of the pro-Cheongrae faction immediately expressed their opposition.
Supreme Council member Park Kyu-hwan remarked, "Today has become a day that leaves another blemish. I feel very ashamed and sorry to have been present at that meeting, but I am determined to protect the Democratic Party, as its collapse could lead to the collapse of democracy itself." He criticized Song and Kim, stating, "They should have verified whether their support conditions were valid, and if they wanted to support despite deficiencies, they should have requested it from the party in advance. Shifting personal responsibility onto the party is not the attitude of a party member."
Another supreme council member, Park Ji-won, noted, "Today is Constitution Day. I reflected on how important it is to create and operate norms in the history of our community. I apologize to the public for showing them an unpleasant situation," while appealing for support from party members. Additionally, fellow pro-Cheongrae member Moon Jeong-bok opposed the decision made at the supreme council meeting and abstained from voting.
Earlier, the Democratic Party had raised concerns about the candidacy qualifications of Song and Kim through some supreme council members.
Kim Yong was reportedly unable to meet the party membership fee requirements due to account freezes during his imprisonment following a sentence in the appellate trial related to the Daejang-dong incident.
Currently, the Democratic Party's regulations stipulate that candidacy eligibility is granted to party members who have paid their dues at least six times within one year prior to the eligibility exercise date, provided they joined the party at least six months before that date.
However, Song Young-gil rejoined the party in February 2023 after leaving due to allegations of distributing money envelopes, falling short of the six-month requirement for candidacy registration.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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