Park Jie-won: “I Believe Kim Byung-kee Is Innocent, But He Should Leave the Party... Jung Chung-rae Must Show Tough Leadership”

[Financial News] Park Jie-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), has urged Kim Byung-kee, who is embroiled in various allegations including nomination bribery, to leave the party.
On the morning of the 6th, during a special lecture for party members at the Gwangju Buk-gu Gap District Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, Park said, "I called Representative Kim and told him, 'Put the party before yourself. Your wife and two sons are all making sacrifices. Leave the party, clear your name through the police investigation, and then return.'"
Park emphasized, "Politics should not be based on compassion alone. Although I believe in his innocence, for the success of the DPK and the Lee Jae-myung administration, Kim should voluntarily leave the party and face the investigation." He added, "No more bribery or corruption will be tolerated in local nominations. Outdated practices must end now."
He continued, "If we do not ensure clean nominations, the people will turn their backs on us. If there is no nomination corruption, we will win." Park also remarked, "In both golf and elections, you lose if you get arrogant. We must remain humble until the end."
On his social media, Park wrote, "The citizens of Gwangju are more concerned about the DPK nomination bribery scandal than about the People Power Party." He conveyed the atmosphere, saying, "People are questioning how such things can happen within the DPK in the 21st century, comparing it to the 'rubber shoes election' of the old Liberal Party (South Korea)."
He added, "Even if Representative Kim feels wronged, he should voluntarily leave the party," noting that he delivered this message with tears during his lecture. "I hope to see Kim Byung-kee return after clearing his name through the police investigation, greeting me as 'big brother' in his usual straightforward manner."
Park further stated, "If the party waits until the 12th for the results of the inspection, it will be too late. How can we endure this?" He stressed, "A leader needs to show generosity, but sometimes must also be ruthless to save the organization. I urge Representative Jung Chung-rae to make a decisive move."
bng@fnnews.com Kim Hee-sun Reporter