"Did the Democratic Party Give Up on the Presidential Election?"... Lee Kwang-jae Faces Fierce Criticism from Gangwon Supporters over 'Busan Away Golf'

Lee Kwang-jae and Park Jae-ho to Play Golf in Busan on the 13th
Lee Kwang-jae Apologizes, "Sorry for My Inadequate Conduct"

Democratic Party of Korea Representative Lee Kwang-jae [Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Lee Kwang-jae, chairman of the Future Economy Committee of the Democratic Party's election campaign committee and a potential next gubernatorial candidate for Gangwon Province within the party, has come under fierce criticism not only from within the party but also from Democratic Party supporters in the Gangwon region after it was revealed that he played golf just before the presidential election.

According to the Democratic Party on the 18th, Lee played golf on the 13th, just before the official start of the election campaign, with Park Jae-ho, a fellow party member and standing co-chairman of the Busan election campaign committee, at a golf club in Busan.

It is known that the two lawmakers played golf that day as guests through an acquaintance who is a full member of the club.

Within the party, there have been calls to discipline the two lawmakers, and it was reported that the situation almost reached the point of their dismissal.

The election campaign committee stated through the media, "There were many criticisms that this was inappropriate behavior given the difficult election situation," and "There were talks that measures should be taken to restore discipline going forward."

Meanwhile, criticism has also continued among Democratic supporters in the Gangwon region.

A Democratic Party member from Wonju pointed out, "Even if it was before the official election campaign, the leadership, who should be leading the election efforts amid strong public opinion for regime change, should not be leisurely playing golf."

A supporter from Chuncheon said, "If we lose this presidential election, all the district lawmakers should be replaced," adding, "We should never elect lawmakers who do not work again," delivering a sharp rebuke.

Supporters from Inje and Hongcheon counties criticized, saying, "Has the Democratic Party given up on the presidential election? It seems they have already lost their fighting spirit," and "Seeing them go to golf courses, are they acting like entrenched elites?" respectively.

The Democratic Party election campaign committee reportedly did not dismiss the two lawmakers but issued a 'strong warning.' The two lawmakers apologized, saying, "We showed inadequate conduct."

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