Democratic Party Says "Permanent Ban on Re-admission" for Kim Kwanyoung, Independent Jeonbuk Governor Candidate

Establishment of the "Special Committee for Fair Election Investigation" for the June 3 Local Elections

Cho Seungrae, General Election Headquarters Chief of the Democratic Party of Korea’s Central Election Committee, stated on the 10th that Kim Kwanyoung, who left the party and is running as an independent candidate for Governor of North Jeolla Province, would be “permanently banned from rejoining the party.”

At a press briefing held at the National Assembly that afternoon, Chief Cho said, “Currently, individuals who have been expelled or disqualified from running due to disciplinary action by the party are leaving and running as independents or for other parties. A representative example is Kim Kwanyoung, the Governor of North Jeolla Province,” he said, making the remarks above.

Cho Seungrae, General Election Headquarters Chief of the Democratic Party of Korea’s National Normalization Election Countermeasures Committee, is holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 10th. Photo by Yonhap News

He went on to criticize, “Some of these people say, ‘I’ll get elected and then rejoin the party,’ but who decides whether they can return? The Democratic Party is a public party, not something one can come and go from at will.” He added, “The party’s constitution clearly states that anyone who runs for public office against the party’s decision after having applied to run as the party’s candidate is permanently barred from rejoining. The party will not accept someone just because they want to come back.”

Regarding the fact that Governor Kim was expelled from the Democratic Party for allegedly providing around 1 million won in cash to young party members at a drinking gathering under the pretext of chauffeur fees, Chief Cho countered, “He claims he gave the money ‘with the heart of an uncle,’ but does this mean it’s acceptable to give money to voters or others under the pretext of being an ‘uncle’ or ‘aunt’? Do the people of North Jeolla accept that?”

On this day, the Democratic Party decided at its Supreme Council meeting to establish a “Special Committee for Fair Election Investigation” for the June 3 local elections. The party announced that it would take action if it is found that members supported candidates from other parties or independent candidates during the election process, reflecting each member’s contribution to the election. Chief Cho stated, “If there are party members assisting Governor Kim Kwanyoung, who is running as an independent, it is a clear violation, and we will take strict action through an investigation by the special committee.”

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