Kim Eui-gyeom: "Cho Kuk Endured the Thorny Path of Hardship with Composure"

Kim Eui-gyeom, Cho Kuk say "Strangely, both of us face harsh trials"

Photo by Kim Ui-gyeom, former Blue House spokesperson, Facebook capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Former Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-gyeom, who was embroiled in a real estate speculation controversy, stated on the 30th, "Seeing (former Minister of Justice) Cho Kuk endure the thorny path of hardship with composure stirred a wave in my heart," revealing that Cho's influence was significant in his decision to run in the general election.

Kim posted a letter titled 'To Professor Cho Kuk' on his Facebook page that afternoon.

Recalling their meetings when Cho was a professor and Kim was a journalist, Kim said, "We met at the Blue House. Meeting Cho Kuk, the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, was the most delightful. Those were happy times."

He continued, "Strangely, both of us have endured harsh trials, and they are still ongoing. Cho Kuk faced backlash from the prosecution while pushing for prosecutorial reform. I believe I was heavily criticized while opposing conservative media outlets including the Chosun Ilbo. Of course, I bear much responsibility, but the stoning was excessively harsh," he said.

He added, "During my journalism career, I met numerous spokespersons. Most were kind and gentle," but explained, "The image of a spokesperson I had was different. I thought it was important to convey the president's intentions accurately and clearly."

He recalled his time as Blue House spokesperson, saying, "Even if it meant having an uncomfortable relationship with the media, I tried not to avoid or evade it. I believed I had to block the arrows flying at the president."

Former Blue House Spokesperson Kim Eui-gyeom. Photo by Yonhap News

He then said, "(I) ended up being an unusually prickly spokesperson," adding, "The reason I could be aggressive was because President Moon Jae-in was solid and dependable. President Moon, like the late President Roh Moo-hyun, has a passionate inner self but is someone who endures and endures. And because the president has a gentle personality, I thought it was acceptable for the spokesperson to be rough."

Kim, who was the second spokesperson of the Moon Jae-in administration, resigned after it was revealed in March last year through the Government Official Ethics Committee's '2019 Regular Asset Change Report' that he had purchased a complex building in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, Seoul, in July 2018 for 2.57 billion KRW, sparking speculation allegations.

Afterward, Kim announced via Facebook at the end of last year that he would donate all the profit from selling the building, and shortly after declared his candidacy for the Gunsan general election.

The Democratic Party's Candidate Verification Committee plans to hold its final meeting on the 3rd of next month to decide on the eligibility of Kim as a preliminary candidate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.