[Exclusive] Jeon Jae-su Tops Donations... Na Kyung-won Leads Among Losers, 'Matt Payment Assault' Chaebols, etc.

Former lawmaker Na Kyung-won is attending the People Power Party's Seoul National Assembly members and city party chairpersons meeting held at the Central Veterans Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 22nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] It has been revealed that Jeon Jae-su, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, received the most campaign donations around the April general election. Joo Ho-young, the floor leader of the People Power Party, ranked second, but most of the top spots were held by Democratic Party members. Among the defeated candidates, former Future United Party member Na Kyung-won and Our Republican Party leader Cho Won-jin ranked first and second, respectively.

According to the campaign finance reports obtained by Asia Economy on the 12th through an information disclosure request to the National Election Commission, among the lawmakers who entered the 21st National Assembly following the 20th, Jeon Jae-su raised the largest amount of funds this year up to May 5, totaling approximately 310 million KRW.

Looking at the list of donors who contributed more than 3 million KRW annually, Jeon’s supporters are mainly office workers or self-employed individuals residing in Busan, numbering about 20 people. Jeon served as an administrative officer and deputy chief of the Blue House Economic Secretariat during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and was the chairman of the Democratic Party’s Busan branch for two years starting August 2018.

Joo Ho-young received 304 million KRW in donations, followed by Democratic Party members Shin Dong-geun (301 million KRW), Kim Du-kwan (300 million KRW), Jeon Hae-cheol (298 million KRW), Park Joo-min (297 million KRW), and Park Jae-ho (296 million KRW).

Next were People Power Party member Yoon Jae-ok (293 million KRW), and Democratic Party members Kim Jung-ho (292 million KRW) and Kim Cheol-min (291 million KRW). Among the top 10 fundraisers, eight were members of the Democratic Party.

Among those whose terms ended with the 20th National Assembly due to defeat or retirement, former member Na Kyung-won raised the most funds, totaling 305 million KRW as of May 29.

Among Na’s major donors were veteran actor Shin Young-kyun, who previously served as a member of the Grand National Party, Yoon Se-young, honorary chairman of the Taeyoung Group and former chairman of SBS Media Group, and Choi Cheol-won, president of M&M and cousin of SK Chairman Choi Tae-won, who shares the same name and birthdate. Choi Cheol-won was involved in controversy over the so-called "mat-gab assault," which inspired the movie "Veteran."

Following them were Cho Won-jin, leader of Our Republican Party (299.9 million KRW), former Future United Party member Kim Hak-yong (299.5 million KRW), and former Future United Party member Min Kyung-wook (298 million KRW).

Additionally, among those who moved to government posts after defeat, Choi Jae-sung, Blue House political secretary (297 million KRW), Park Ji-won, director of the National Intelligence Service (284 million KRW), and Kim Young-choon, secretary-general of the National Assembly (293 million KRW), ranked high.

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