Kim Nam-guk "Political Fundraising Not Easy... Please Understand My Appeal"

Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, attending the plenary meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 21st of last month, explaining a bill proposal. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] On the 28th, Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, lamented, "It is really not easy for politicians to raise political donations. It is the same for senior lawmakers," adding, "It is especially more difficult for first-term and young lawmakers."

In a post on his Facebook on the same day, Kim said, "(Requesting donations through SNS such as Facebook) should be understood as an effort to appeal to the public in a more friendly and honest way," and added, "I know it is a forced and twisted criticism, but sometimes I really think it is too much."

Earlier, on the 27th, Jeong Cheong-rae, a member of the same party, posted a photo bowing his head on his Facebook and wrote, "I earnestly requested donations, but only 161 people participated, and there has been no news," and added, "Kim Nam-guk boasts that (the donations) are all full, but I am too embarrassed to show my face. I am even embarrassed to meet the President..."

Kim Yong-min, another Democratic Party lawmaker, mentioned prosecutorial reform and political reform on an internet bulletin board on the 16th, saying, "I shamelessly ask for your support," and added, "Due to lack of funds, my staff and I are starving. I am tired of kimbap every day. I shamelessly ask for generous donations."

Some criticized the way lawmakers appeal for donations as being too blatant. On the 22nd, Jo Su-jin, a member of the People Power Party, publicly criticized Kim Yong-min’s donation appeal on her Facebook, saying, "The uses of prosecutorial reform seem to be quite diverse."

In response, Kim Nam-guk sarcastically remarked to Jo Su-jin, "Politicians who take bribes and use the National Intelligence Service’s special activity funds would not need such efforts," and added, "Unless you are a politician who has so much money that you accidentally omitted 1.1 billion won in assets, you really have no choice but to struggle to raise political funds."

He continued, "The public needs to help a little so that politicians can engage in clean politics," and emphasized, "Small donations to diligent politicians help develop our politics. I ask for much interest and support for the young politicians who are really struggling to raise donations."

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