[6.3 Election] Democratic Party and Jokuk Innovation Party Clash in Gochang, Jeonbuk

Jokuk Innovation Party: "Immediate Expulsion and Thorough Investigation of Sim Deokseop"
Democratic Party of Korea: "Baseless Allegations Must Stop, Focus on Policy Competition"

With just over a month left until the nationwide local elections on June 3, the Democratic Party of Korea and the Jokuk Innovation Party are clashing head-on as they vie for dominance in the Honam region. Both parties have already entered into an intense war of nerves, exchanging sharp criticism toward one another.

Innovation Party for the Country, Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Party. Internet screen capture

The Jokuk Innovation Party Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Party issued a commentary on April 28, launching strong criticism regarding allegations surrounding Sim Deokseop, the head of Gochang County. The Jokuk Innovation Party cited recent media reports raising suspicions of preferential treatment in the Gochang Integrated Theme Park project and alleged violations of election law, stating that "this goes beyond a simple administrative mistake and constitutes a serious case of entrenched local corruption that shakes the very foundations of fairness and transparency, which are core to local autonomy."

The Jokuk Innovation Party particularly claimed that there is a recording of a key figure close to County Head Sim meeting privately and having a secret conversation with a National Investigation Headquarters officer. The party emphasized, "This can only be interpreted as an improper solicitation to quash the investigation or an attempt to privatize public authority." In addition, the party raised suspicions of collusion with a specific company that emerged during the theme park project, asserting that "if backdoor administrative practices become rampant, public trust in the county government will reach an irreparable level."

The Jokuk Innovation Party called on the Democratic Party of Korea, saying, "As the ruling party enjoying overwhelming support in Jeonbuk, you must prove your commitment to integrity and reform through action," and demanded the immediate expulsion of County Head Sim Deokseop from the party and a special investigation at the party level.

Democratic Party of Korea Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Party

In response, the Democratic Party of Korea Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Party issued a statement on April 29, strongly refuting the Jokuk Innovation Party's claims. The Democratic Party of Korea stated, "Repeatedly spreading unverified allegations or matters that already have serious credibility issues poses a significant risk of distorting voters' decisions and constitutes a major illegal act that undermines their right to choose."

The Democratic Party of Korea specifically addressed the allegations of bribery involving candidate Sim Deokseop, stating, "No objective, physical evidence has been presented so far, and the informant who provided the recording in question has previously denied the content themselves." The party continued, "It is not healthy political competition to convey information that has not been clearly confirmed as fact without refinement."

The Democratic Party of Korea Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province Party described candidate Sim Deokseop as "an individual who has worked for administrative transparency and regional development based on years of public service experience," emphasizing that "the evaluation of a candidate should be based on policies, achievements, and vision—not on unsubstantiated allegations." The party also urged the Jokuk Innovation Party to "focus on self-examination and policy competition, rather than raising baseless suspicions, if you wish to be regarded as a responsible political party."

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