Kim Dong-yeon "Baseless Smear Campaign Must Be Punished"... Direct Rebuttal to 'Corruption Allegations' Ahead of Election

Held a National Assembly Press Conference to Appeal for Support
Choked Up, Saying "Every Vote Is Desperately Needed"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Kim Dong-yeon, the Democratic Party candidate for Governor of Gyeonggi Province, strongly refuted the controversies surrounding him and sharply checked his opponent, Kim Eun-hye of the People Power Party, by mentioning the controversy over false property declarations.

On the 31st, after an emergency press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office, candidate Kim Dong-yeon addressed the controversy regarding the 'allegation of lawyer fee payment by others' related to campaign donations, saying, "The donations were something I was completely unaware of last October, and they linked it to then-presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung and Daejang-dong," adding, "At that time, I had been running for president for only a month, and the founding of the New Wave party had not yet happened. What connection could there be between candidate Lee and Daejang-dong in that situation?"

Previously, suspicions arose that a company accused of paying Lee’s lawyer fees during the last presidential election had also donated a large sum to candidate Kim Dong-yeon.

Regarding the controversy over his son's dual citizenship, he responded, "My child attended elementary school and kindergarten in Anyang. He served as an army sergeant and completed his mandatory military service." On the allegation that he gave out holiday gifts preferentially during his time as Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, he defended, "Holiday gifts are customarily sent as tokens of cooperation in work," and added, "In that process, we never tried to give or favor any particular business."

On the series of raised issues, he emphasized, "The election ends tomorrow. Regardless of the outcome, those who spread such groundless slander must be held accountable," and said, "I will discuss with the party, but regardless of the result, I want to raise issues against those who persistently raised these problems until the end."

Furthermore, regarding the controversy over candidate Kim Eun-hye’s underreporting of assets, he pointed out, "She reported the building value about 1.5 billion won lower, and stocks worth over 150 million won were not reported at all," adding, "If she could not properly manage her own assets worth about 24.1 billion won, I worry about how she would manage Gyeonggi Province’s budget exceeding 33 trillion won." He then pledged, "If I become governor of Gyeonggi Province, I will govern with integrity, cleanliness, and fairness," and announced that he would introduce a 'One-Strike-Out System for Public Officials' immediately upon election.

At the press conference, he also appealed for support with tears in his eyes. Candidate Kim Dong-yeon said, "Every vote from you is desperately needed," and added, "To change this game and for the sake of Gyeonggi Province, to create a new Gyeonggi Province, I need your help." He continued, "Having grown up dreaming in shacks by Cheonggyecheon and tents in Seongnam, focusing solely on the lives of the people and the future of the nation, I, Kim Dong-yeon, want the people of Gyeonggi Province and the nation to show through their votes that I can overcome any environment without giving up and achieve victory," appealing for support.

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