‘Cutoff’ Kim Young-hwan Urges Lee Jung-hyun to Resign and Apologize

The Financial News reported that on the 17th, Governor of North Chungcheong Province Kim Young-hwan called on Nomination Management Committee Chairperson Lee Jung-hyun at the central party headquarters to resign and apologize. Kim has been protesting his cutoff (exclusion from nomination) as the Governor of North Chungcheong Province candidate for the June 3 local elections since the previous day. He also warned, saying, "If this matter is not corrected, I will make a major political decision."
In a statement released that day, Kim declared, "Immediately withdraw this backroom, manipulative nomination that trampled on the will of the residents of North Chungcheong Province," adding, "The cutoff decision carried out by the party’s Candidate Nomination Management Committee is an act of political outrage that destroys the principles of the party’s constitution and rules, and a clear act of betrayal against the residents of North Chungcheong Province."
Kim argued, "I do not fall under a single one of the cutoff criteria and principles set by the party," and continued, "Nevertheless, after completing interviews with all four applicants, the Candidate Nomination Management Committee suddenly overturned the principle of a primary and excluded me. This is an outrageous act that deceives party members and destroys the party’s own democratic legitimacy."
He also raised an issue by claiming that Lee Jung-hyun had recently contacted former lawmaker Kim Su-min, who is from Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province. Kim stated, "A week before the decision, Lee Jung-hyun had already met with Kim Su-min, and immediately after the cutoff, he personally called Kim Su-min and told her to submit additional application documents," stressing, "This is old-style backroom collusion politics that neutralizes the institutional process of a major political party, and it deserves punishment as serious electoral misconduct."
He went on, "I have consistently argued that we must unite around the leadership system under Chair Jang Dong-hyeok, and I was prepared to devote myself to the party," adding, "But who can talk about putting the party before personal interests when such a one-sided decision is handed down on the same day, without any convincing reason or explanation? This is nothing less than compromising with injustice."
Kim argued, "Excluding, in this manner, the incumbent provincial governor with the highest approval ratings among all local election candidates is not a way to save the party, but a way to destroy it." He continued, "Because this decision completely ignored the residents of North Chungcheong Province who chose me with overwhelming support, the local community is now engulfed in enormous shock and anger. A party that betrays the will of the residents of North Chungcheong Province, the heart of the Republic of Korea, has no victory and no future."
Kim also urged Chairperson Lee to resign and apologize. He said, "With this kind of event-style, image-focused nomination, we can never win the hearts of the people," and added, "To correct this wrong decision and protect the pride of North Chungcheong Province, I will do everything within my power, including filing an injunction request. If this matter is not corrected, I will make a major political decision."
haeram@fnnews.com Lee Hae-ram Reporter