Ahn Cheol-soo: "As long as Kim Won-woong is there, I will cut off government funding to Gwangbokhoe"

"Shamelessly Refusing to Resign as Chairman Despite Committing Corruption and Misconduct"

Ahn Cheol-soo, Presidential Candidate of the People’s Party, Facebook Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate of the People’s Party, announced on the 14th, "As long as Kim Won-woong is the chairman of the Gwangbokhoe, I will cut off government funding to the Gwangbokhoe."

On the morning of the same day, Ahn said through his Facebook, "Chairman Kim’s refusal to resign despite committing corruption and misconduct is sheer shamelessness and audacity."

He pointed out, "According to the audit results by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Chairman Kim Won-woong embezzled part of the profits from the cafe operated by the National Assembly for personal slush funds and allowed a relative’s company to use the Gwangbokhoe office without permission, among other improper acts. Nevertheless, he refuses to resign, claiming the audit results are defamatory, showing an 'arrogant' attitude that has angered many citizens." The Ministry recently announced that the Gwangbokhoe raised 61 million KRW by using false orders or overestimating costs through intermediaries of the National Assembly cafe and created slush funds by arbitrarily using cash sales from the National Assembly cafe.

Ahn said, "This is a shameful reflection of the Gwangbokhoe, which has collapsed due to double standards and political bias," citing Chairman Kim’s past remark that "the United States was an occupying force, and the Soviet army was a liberating force." Ahn criticized, "He incited and fueled ideological conflicts in our society. It is truly disheartening that such a person holds the position of chairman of the Gwangbokhoe, a symbol of national spirit."

He also emphasized, "If Chairman Kim has even a shred of conscience, he should immediately apologize to the public and voluntarily go to the investigative authorities," and "The Gwangbokhoe must immediately hold a general meeting to expel Chairman Kim." Ahn added, "If the Gwangbokhoe cannot take self-purification measures, I will cut off government funding to the Gwangbokhoe as soon as I am elected. It is unacceptable to continue using taxpayers’ money to support the Gwangbokhoe led by an immoral person."

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