Kim Wonseong, Disqualified from Nomination over 'MeToo Allegations,' Says "It's a Political Conspiracy... Is There a Recording?" (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] The nomination of Kim Won-sung, a Supreme Council member of the United Future Party classified as part of the 'Lee Eon-ju faction,' for Busan Bukgangseo-eul has been canceled. In response, Kim demanded the release of a recording, calling it a "political slander."

At a press conference on the 19th, he stated, "I am greatly disappointed to see a fresh young person taking their first steps in politics being dragged down by such slander and intrigue."

Earlier, the United Future Party's Supreme Council held a closed meeting and resolved to invalidate Kim's nomination. Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn announced this, saying, "The Nomination Management Committee made the decision, and we proceeded with the process considering this," adding that regarding Kim's retention as a Supreme Council member, "further discussion is needed."

Kim responded, calling it "an unprecedented foul play, slander, and intrigue," and criticized it as "a Me Too without a recording that can be disclosed and without the involved party appearing." He urged the Nomination Committee to "openly release the recording to verify if my voice is correct," and requested, "The person claiming Me Too should come forward immediately."

He expressed deep regret, saying, "I am truly saddened to see the hard-won conservative unification, achieved under the historic mission of conservative integration, being destroyed by selfish interests," and added, "I have lived striving to create a world free of privilege and foul play, but I never expected such foul play from the united conservatives I trusted."

He pointed to Kim Do-eup, who withdrew from running in Busan Bukgangseo-eul, as the mastermind behind the slander, stating, "If Representative Kim runs in the general election, I will run as an independent and judge him," and announced, "About 100 former and current nationwide university student council presidents and around 200 members of the Youth Innovation Group plan to visit the central party office to protest."

Kim, originally from Lee Eon-ju's Future Forward 4.0 (Jeonjin Party), joined the party through the unification. Busan Bukgangseo-eul is the district where Representative Kim Do-eup declared he would not run in the general election. On the 12th, the Supreme Council requested reconsideration for six districts including this one, but the Nomination Committee decided to maintain the nominations.

However, the Nomination Committee later confirmed serious reasons that made it impossible to uphold Kim's nomination and requested the party's Supreme Council to invalidate it. According to the committee, issues included Me Too allegations and derogatory remarks about specific regions. This is the second time the party's Supreme Council has invalidated a nomination, following former Macquarie Asset Management CEO Choi Hong.

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