Kang Ki-yoon's Campaign Committee Urges Song Soon-ho to Apologize to Citizens for History of Violence First!

Assaulting Public Officials, Violence and Verbal Abuse Against the Assembly Vice Chair
Explaining These Actions to Voters Is the Bare Minimum of Decency

The election campaign committee (hereinafter referred to as the campaign committee) for Kang Ki-yoon, the People Power Party candidate for Mayor of Changwon, strongly condemned on May 12 what it called “the height of political shamelessness” in response to baseless allegations raised by Song Soon-ho, the Democratic Party candidate.

Kang Ki-yoon, the People Power Party's Changwon mayoral candidate, is shaking hands with supporters. [Photo by Kang Ki-yoon Campaign Committee]

On the same day, Kang's campaign committee issued a rebuttal statement, dismissing Song’s claims regarding the alleged private use of public corporation funds as “completely groundless” and asserting that Song had maliciously distorted Korea South-East Power’s local community contributions and legitimate business activities.

The statement further criticized, “The result of the Internet Election Coverage Deliberation Committee was merely a procedural judgment. Song is misleading the public as if the suspicions were confirmed as corruption, when in fact they were not. This is a classic example of black propaganda.”

The campaign committee also directly addressed Song Soon-ho’s past record of violence. “How can a candidate who has assaulted public officials and even used violence against the vice chair of the provincial assembly talk about ‘meeting the citizens’ expectations’ and ‘morality’? It is regrettable to see a candidate who lacks even the basic virtue of self-restraint expected of a public servant focus solely on disparaging his opponents,” the committee said.

In 2009, when Song was a member of the Masan City Council, he committed a violent assault during a dispute over the Masan-Changwon-Jinhae integration at a restaurant in Masan. Song reportedly kicked an administrative officer of Masan City, employee A, in the chest once or twice, causing him to fall. It was reported that A suffered chest pain and a cracked tooth, took leave, and received outpatient treatment at a nearby hospital.

It was also reported that the incident was witnessed by all Masan City Council members, the deputy mayor, directors, and about 40 other officials, which added to the shock.

At the time, the Masan City employees' union issued a statement condemning Song’s actions as “a shameless act trampling on the dignity, pride, and human rights of public servants,” and called for an apology.

Song’s violence did not stop there.

In September 2020, while serving as a provincial assembly member, Song pushed a fellow assembly member to the ground during a physical altercation between ruling and opposition lawmakers over the introduction of a no-confidence motion against the chairperson of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Assembly. The victim suffered injuries requiring three weeks of medical treatment.

Song was brought to trial on charges including assault causing bodily injury and was fined.

Furthermore, in 2020, while serving as chair of the Education Committee of the provincial assembly, Song was sued for insult after he reportedly used abusive language and insults against Vice Chairperson B during a protest over the committee assignments.

In response, Kang Ki-yoon's campaign committee called on Song to “confess and apologize before the citizens of Changwon for his record of violence, instead of blaming others.”

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