Ahn Byung-hee on "Association Privatization" Negative Messages, Kim Jung-wook Urges "Refrain from Black Propaganda, Compete in Good Faith"

D-6 to the Korean Bar Association President Election
Race Reshaped into a Two-Way Contest

Jungwook Kim, Byeonghee An candidates. [Image source=Each candidate's campaign]

Candidate Ahn Byung-hee (63, 7th Military Legal Officer), running for the president of the Korean Bar Association, announced a unification with candidate Geum Tae-seop (58, 24th Judicial Research and Training Institute) and sent a text message to lawyers containing the phrase “to prevent the privatization of the association by certain forces.” In response, candidate Kim Jung-wook (46, 2nd Bar Exam) criticized this as “black propaganda.”

On the 14th, Kim’s campaign issued a statement proposing to Ahn’s side, “Let us refrain from black propaganda and engage in fair competition for the remaining period.” Kim Jung-wook’s camp expressed “deep concern that Ahn’s first action after unification is black propaganda.”

Earlier, on the 13th, Ahn sent a text message to lawyers titled [Ahn Byung-hee and Geum Tae-seop unify under candidate Ahn Byung-hee], stating, “This afternoon, I agreed with candidate Geum Tae-seop to fight together as a unified candidate, Ahn Byung-hee, to prevent the privatization of the association by certain forces.”

Regarding the slander of “privatization of the association” by Ahn’s side, candidate Kim explained, “The 96th and 97th Standing Directors of the Seoul Bar Association are evenly distributed from the 18th Judicial Research and Training Institute to the 11th Bar Exam, and were appointed in almost the same proportion as the meaningful group distribution of all members,” adding, “Ahn’s black propaganda was proven false through explanations two years ago.”

Kim’s camp urged Ahn’s side to “refrain from black propaganda based on false information at least during the remaining week of the association president election period.” They also proposed “constructive discussions” and “fair competition” on the direction the lawyer community should take, practical means to protect the profession, measures for urgent issues, and ways to secure the autonomy of lawyer organizations. Kim added, “We reaffirm that the Korean Bar Association president election is solely about receiving members’ choice based on the candidate’s sincerity, expertise, and prepared policy pledges.”

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