‘Special Favor Contract Allegations' Park Deok-heum Rejoins People Power Party…Ruling Party Criticizes as "Disregard for the People"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Park Deok-heum, who left the People Power Party amid allegations of 'preferential contract awards,' has rejoined the party after about 15 months.

According to the People Power Party's Chungbuk Provincial Party on the 4th, Park submitted his membership application on December 28 of last year. The provincial party held a membership qualification review committee two days later and approved his admission. The provincial party noted that the prosecution and police had not indicted or summoned the party member for investigation regarding the preferential contract award allegations related to public construction projects for 1 year and 4 months, effectively considering the matter as 'no charges,' and made this decision accordingly.

Previously, Park was accused of securing public construction projects worth thousands of billions of won from supervised institutions through construction companies registered under his family's name while serving on the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee. In September 2020, Park left the People Power Party stating he would "reveal the truth as an independent."

The Democratic Party strongly criticized the People Power Party. Bok Ki-wang, spokesperson for the Democratic Party's election committee, said in a briefing that day, "While the shipwrecked People Power Party's election committee is undergoing internal reform turmoil, the Chungbuk Provincial Party has decided to suddenly reinstate Park, who left the party amid allegations of preferential contract awards. This is a disregard for the people," and urged, "We demand the immediate withdrawal of his reinstatement."

Spokesperson Bok added, "The allegations surrounding Park, who said he would reveal the truth after leaving the party, have not been resolved at all," and said, "The People Power Party has repeatedly engaged in scapegoating controversial figures and quietly reinstating them once the issue subsides. Was the talk of reflection and reform a lie?"

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