Should Kim Tae-woo Reveal the Card? The 'Prosecutor-Police Frame' Dilemma

Seoul Gangseo-gu Mayor Election, Ruling and Opposition Parties Deliberate Electoral Landscape
Opposition's Police Background Nominee Raises Prospect of Police-Prosecutor Confrontation

The People Power Party, which has been deliberating over whether to nominate a candidate for the Seoul Gangseo District Mayor by-election scheduled for this October, is drawing attention as to whether it will bring out the card of former Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo.

This election was triggered after former Mayor Kim was convicted of leaking official secrets and lost his position, following his 2018 exposure of allegations that former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk had suppressed an inspection. Initially, there was a strong sentiment within the People Power Party that they should not nominate a candidate for this election, due to concerns that nominating the person responsible for causing the by-election again could provoke a backlash from public opinion.

However, after the Democratic Party candidate was confirmed, the atmosphere shifted decisively toward nominating a candidate. The Democratic Party strategically nominated Jin Gyo-hoon, a former Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency. Many in the political sphere view this as a strategic move by the Democratic Party to prepare for the possible candidacy of former Mayor Kim, who was a former prosecutor’s investigator. It is a calculated move anticipating a 'prosecutor-police showdown' scenario. This election is not simply about choosing a district mayor but is a strategy to highlight the argument for judging the current administration.

Former Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The People Power Party criticized the Democratic Party for forcibly creating a prosecutor-police confrontation. Kim Sung-tae, former lawmaker and head of the Gangseo-eul district organization, said in a BBS radio interview, "The Democratic Party had 13 candidates running for district mayor, but they cut off all of them and strategically nominated Jin Gyo-hoon," adding, "It is a means to create a forced prosecutor-police frame."

Regarding criticism about nominating the person responsible for causing the by-election again, they emphasized that former Mayor Kim lost his position not due to personal corruption but because of whistleblowing in the public interest.

Party leader Kim Ki-hyun stated, "If Yoo Jae-soo (former Busan Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs) and Cho Kuk (former Minister of Justice) are guilty of suppressing inspections, then Kim Tae-woo is innocent," and added, "Sentencing a person who reported illegal acts in the public interest is a confirmation of how distorted and biased the Kim Myung-soo Supreme Court is."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is taking a commemorative photo after awarding the nomination certificate to Jin Gyo-hoon, candidate for the by-election for the mayor of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, at the hunger strike tent in front of the National Assembly main building on the 6th. On the right is Park Kwang-won, floor leader. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

However, concerns remain that nominating former Mayor Kim could negatively affect public sentiment. If defeated in the election, there is a risk that the 'capital region crisis theory' raised by some within the ruling party could spread uncontrollably. Such an outcome would be fatal at a time when the general election is just around the corner next year.

Former lawmaker Kim said, "Although the Democratic Party created the prosecutor-police frame, (the People Power Party) can still make this election worthwhile if candidates are selected through procedures and methods that the candidates can accept and understand, rather than through unilateral party decisions," expressing the opinion that selecting candidates through a primary is appropriate.

Some criticize that this election is escalating into a political confrontation rather than serving the local residents. Yoon Tae-gon, director of the Agenda and Strategy Group The Moa, appeared on CBS radio and pointed out that both ruling and opposition parties "seem to be looking at each other rather than public sentiment, thinking 'This candidate is worth trying,' or 'This kind of fight is worth trying,'" and said, "It turns into their own league, blocking the prosecution, blocking the police, in this way."

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