Author Gong Ji-young: "You Are Still Young!" Supporting Kim Eui-gyeom's Decision Not to Run in the General Election

Author Gong Ji-young / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Juhee] Author Gong Ji-young sent a message of support to former Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-gyeom, who announced on the 4th that he would not run in the April 15 general election.

On that day, Gong wrote on Facebook, "I hope Kim Eui-gyeom is not too exhausted," adding, "You are still young!"

Gong said, "I woke up early, went to mass, and planned to calmly read and write, but after hearing the news about Kim Eui-gyeom, I couldn't do anything," and added, "I drove for three hours. Otherwise, I felt like I would be stuck on Twitter."

She continued, "Late at night, I happened to watch a documentary about monks, and a monk with a bright face said, 'I have come this far without being swayed by trivial things.' That hit me deeply," and said, "It’s not because this matter is trivial, but I took a deep breath to see it bigger," adding, "And I thought, having lived, there is nothing in the world that is only bad!!"

Gong wrote, "Someone inside me says, 'If things went as you thought, the world would already be heaven,' and my friend sarcastically says, 'Mind your own business, you’re the only one who gets hurt,'" then added, "The truth, or the place where I should stand, is somewhere between these two points."

Former Blue House Spokesperson Kim Eui-kyeom / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, former spokesperson Kim posted on his Facebook on the 4th a post titled "I will not run." Kim stated, "I wanted to work for the success of the Moon Jae-in administration and the economic development of Gunsan. I tried everything I could in my own way to be recognized for my usefulness. Sometimes I even struggled," adding, "But now it seems time to stop."

Kim also sent an open letter to Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, asking, "Please allow me to run as a preliminary candidate." However, after the party’s stance did not change, he withdrew his intention to run.

In March last year, it was revealed late that Kim had purchased a commercial building in the redevelopment area of Heukseok-dong for about 2.57 billion won, sparking allegations of 'real estate speculation,' leading to his resignation as spokesperson.

Later, in December of the same year, after declaring his candidacy as a Democratic Party candidate in Gunsan, Jeonbuk, he sold the controversial commercial and residential building in Heukseok-dong and donated the profits. However, the Democratic Party reportedly discouraged his candidacy, considering the negative impact it could have on the overall general election landscape.

The party’s Public Election Candidate Verification Committee (Verification Committee) postponed its decision three times on whether Kim was qualified as a preliminary candidate. The committee carefully examined allegations of speculation and 'preferential loans' but reportedly found no legal issues.

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