Kim Geun-sik and Nam Young-hee say "Clean concession and self-reflection needed for the defeated"

"Kim Du-gwan, who praised Nam Young-hee, is also surprising"

Professor Kim Geun-sik, Kyungnam University
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Professor Kim Geunsik of Gyeongnam University, who ran as the United Future Party candidate in Seoul Songpa-byeong but lost, criticized Nam Younghee, the Democratic Party candidate, on the 22nd, saying, "What a losing candidate needs is a clean concession and self-reflection." Nam ran in the April 15 general election in the Incheon Dong-gu·Michuhol district and lost to independent candidate Yoon Sanghyun by 171 votes.

On the same day, Professor Kim wrote on his Facebook, "Seeing Nam candidate make the proper decision to forgo a recount but still add a caveat that she will not acknowledge the winner, I am deeply concerned about how deeply rooted the divisive culture and the stigma of corruption within the Democratic Party are."

He said, "It is a contradiction in terms to proudly give up a recount but refuse to acknowledge the winner," and "Saying you concede but do not acknowledge is actually just wordplay."

He added, "Saying you forgo a recount to avoid appearing to reject the election or the South Korean election system, but then refusing to acknowledge the person confirmed as the winner through a legitimate election is to contradict your own words."

Nam Young-hee, the Democratic Party candidate who ran in the Incheon Dong-gu and Michuhol electoral district and lost by 171 votes [Image source=Yonhap News]

Professor Kim also said, "If the decision to forgo a recount was made considering the difficulty of overturning the result through a recount, the litigation process, costs, and other factors, then it is right to cleanly accept and acknowledge the result," adding, "The logic that the winner cannot be acknowledged because they are part of the state power abuse faction is merely a blind logic fueled by the hostility and hatred of the Democratic Party's fervent supporters."

He continued, "It is the sentiment of the pro-Moon Jaein hardcore supporters, known as Moonppa (supporters of President Moon Jaein), who are accustomed to pulling down Geum Tae-seop, pressuring Kim Jin-ae to resign, sending 18-won donations, and bombarding with text messages," and said, "Nam candidate's claim that not acknowledging the winner is her last pride is worrisome as it seems to be fully integrated with Moonppa's perception and sentiment."

He went on, "What is even more surprising is that Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan praised this," and said, "If they are senior figures in the Democratic Party, they should rightly criticize and reprimand Nam candidate's statement of not acknowledging the winner, but seeing a senior lawmaker take her side makes one guess how powerful the pro-Moon Moonppa culture still dominating the Democratic Party is," repeatedly criticizing.

Finally, Professor Kim added, "Both ruling and opposition parties should now refrain from and break away from the excessive hostility of their extremely biased hardcore supporters and the overrepresentation of their voices."

Meanwhile, Nam, a former Democratic Party deputy spokesperson, won the early voting by 3,920 votes against Yoon Sanghyun in this general election but ultimately lost by 171 votes when combining the main vote.

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