Park Ji-won: "Kim Nam-guk Should Avoid the Shower... The Typhoon Won't Last Long"

"Comprehensive Survey on Virtual Currency Could Turn Crisis into Opportunity"

Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won advised Representative Kim Nam-guk, who left the Democratic Party of Korea amid multi-billion won cryptocurrency allegations, saying, "Typhoons are strong but not long-lasting. You have to avoid the shower and wait it out."

On the 19th, on YTN's "News King Park Ji-hoon," Park said, "Representative Kim should refrain from appearing in the media like this and prepare to cooperate with the ethics and prosecution investigations while reflecting quietly."

He had previously urged Kim not to explain himself through the media. Park said, "For Representative Kim, since the prosecution has launched a forced investigation into cryptocurrency transactions and he has been reported to the ethics committee, he must undergo a thorough review there. Whether or not disciplinary action is taken by the ethics committee, the prosecution's investigation will depend on that outcome." He added, "Since he has apologized to the public, he should reflect quietly and cooperate well with the developments."

The advice is to keep a low profile until the suspicions subside. Kim, who had been in hiding, was spotted moving at Yangyang Rest Area the day before, drawing attention. Park said, "Once your face is exposed, whether you are a politician or a celebrity, you must be careful about your posture and conduct wherever you go." He continued, "Being photographed at a rest area and the footage being posted suggests he was just going to rest, given the circumstances."

The People Power Party insists that the ethics committee procedure should be bypassed and the matter brought directly to the plenary session. Park said, "Even murderers are punished through judicial procedures. Where is such extralegal action? That would be an extralegal revolution," he added.

The Kim incident has reignited factional conflicts within the party between pro-Myeong (친명) and anti-Myeong (비명) groups. Regarding this, Park said, "In a healthy and sound party, various voices should be expressed. Should these be divided into pro-Myeong and anti-Myeong?" He criticized, "Hardcore supporters defend Representative Kim and tell those who criticize him to leave the party. Such actions are causing the Democratic Party to collapse due to internal strife."

He continued, "Again, legislation and legal reforms regarding cryptocurrency should be enacted, and cryptocurrency should be included in the public disclosure of officials' assets. This would reveal a lot." He added, "The most important thing is to conduct a full investigation of high-ranking officials, including members of the National Assembly. If these three things are done, it could turn into an opportunity for a positive transformation."

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