Democratic Party Changwon 14th Provincial Council Candidate Kim Myojeong: "Progressive Party Official Pressured Me to Withdraw Late at Night"

Kim Myojeong, candidate for the Democratic Party of Korea running in the 14th electoral district of Changwon, Gyeongnam Province (covering the neighborhoods of Chungmu, Yeoja, Taebaek, Gyeonghwa, Byeongam, and Seokdong), has condemned the pressure from a Progressive Party official to withdraw her candidacy.

Currently serving as a member of the Changwon City Council, Kim Myojeong held a press conference at the city hall press center on May 18 and stated, "In early April, late at night, I received a phone call from the head of the Progressive Party's Jinhae district chapter, during which I was subjected to harsh language and threats. The main point was to demand that I withdraw my candidacy."

She continued, "I made it clear during that call that I believe it is absolutely necessary for me to run, in order to uphold responsible politics by the ruling party and to protect citizens' right to choose. Shortly after, an official letter was sent to the Gyeongnam Provincial Democratic Party office, in the name of the Jinhae Political Reform Citizens' Alliance, urging the party to halt the nomination process for its candidate."

The letter reportedly included several demands: to suspend the nomination process for the Changwon City Council 14th electoral district, claiming it undermines unity among the democratic and progressive blocs; to actively promote a one-on-one (1:1) contest between the democratic/progressive bloc and the People Power Party for the purpose of dissolving the latter; and to respond to the letter by 9 a.m. on April 13.

Kim Myojeong, a candidate for the 14th electoral district of Changwon City, Gyeongsangnam-do, representing the Democratic Party of Korea, is holding a press conference.
[Photo by Se-ryeong Lee]

Kim stated, "They demanded that I withdraw my candidacy by a specific deadline, just one night away, and threatened to hold a press conference condemning me if I did not comply. This goes beyond expressing a political opinion—it infringes on the constitutional right to hold public office and threatens citizens' right to choose. It is an ultra-constitutional and anti-democratic act."

She further criticized, "The person who called me late at night to pressure me to withdraw was none other than the spouse of my rival candidate and the head of the Progressive Party's local chapter. Was that call made in an official capacity as a local party leader, or was it a personal move for a family member's election? Either way, it is something to be ashamed of before the citizens."

She added, "Labeling me as a council member for Palyong-dong and fueling regional conflict between Jinhae and Uichang is a classic example of outdated regionalist politics. For the past four years, I have not been a council member for just one neighborhood. Where is the boundary in legislative activities that protect citizens' lives?"

Kim Myojeong emphasized, "I will not yield to any threats or malicious negative campaigning, and if necessary, I will consult with a lawyer and pursue legal action. I call on the Progressive Party's Jinhae District Committee to stop all pressure to withdraw and irrational negative campaigning, and to step forward into a fair policy competition in front of the citizens."

In response, the head of the Progressive Party's Jinhae District Committee, who was identified as the person pressuring Kim not to run, explained, "We have cooperated with the Democratic Party so far to settle the legacy of the coup, and we had coordinated the election districts. It was disappointing to see someone who is not a talent discovered in Jinhae, and who is from another district, suddenly running in Jinhae."

The official added, "It was not because my spouse is running, but because I am acting in my capacity as the head of the Jinhae District Committee. If the situation were the same regardless of who the candidate was, I would have taken the same action."

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