[6.3 Election] Ahn Hoyoung: "Inadequate Verification of Lee Wantak Allegations... No Scapegoating"

Questions Raised Over Brief Inspection and Circumstances of Payment

Ahn Hoyoung, a candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea's Jeonbuk Special Autonomous Province Governor primary, is holding a press conference at the Jeonbuk Provincial Council on the 8th. Photo by Yonhap News

Assemblyman Ahn Ho-young has called for a reinvestigation and the suspension of the primary election in connection with fellow lawmaker Lee Wantak’s "alleged proxy payment for a meal" during the Democratic Party's Jeonbuk Governor primary process.

On April 8, Assemblyman Ahn raised concerns in a press conference statement regarding the party’s Supreme Council’s decision to proceed with the primary after determining there was "no wrongdoing" related to the allegations.

Ahn stated, "It is prohibited under the Public Official Election Act for a third party to pay expenses on behalf of a candidate," emphasizing, "The key issue is whether Councilwoman Kim Seulji's payment was intended to support the election of Assemblyman Lee Wantak." He went on to say, "There must be a reinvestigation to clarify the facts, and the primary process should be immediately suspended."

Suspicions regarding Lee Wantak first surfaced through a local media report around noon on April 7. Later that day, at approximately 4:30 PM, Democratic Party leader Jung Cheongrae ordered an urgent ethics inspection, which was launched immediately. The party inspection team reported its conclusion of "no wrongdoing at present" to the Supreme Council, which then decided to continue with the primary based on this finding. The party stated it would take action against Assemblyman Lee Wantak should any issues arise in the future, and announced that a further inspection would be conducted regarding Councilwoman Kim Seulji.

Assemblyman Ahn criticized this as a "scapegoating" response that shifts responsibility onto others. He also pointed out the problem of not reflecting internal opinions that the primary should only proceed after the inspection was fully completed.

Meanwhile, Assemblyman Lee Wantak is currently facing complaints filed with the Jeonbuk Provincial Election Commission and the police for alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. There are concerns that, depending on the outcome of the investigation, confusion may arise even after a candidate has been selected.

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