Supreme Council Member Kang Deuk-gu Accuses Candidate Lee Sung-yoon of Blocking Song Young-gil and Kim Yong From Running

Democratic Party of Korea Supreme Council Member Kang Deuk-gu stated on the 16th via his social media that Supreme Council candidate Lee Sung-yoon was the key figure within the party who attempted to block former leader Song Young-gil and former vice chairman Kim Yong from registering for the party convention in July. Former leader Song had returned to the party after receiving a not-guilty verdict, while former vice chairman Kim was in a position where it was difficult to pay party dues due to a prosecution seizure of his bank accounts.

Supreme Council Member Kang, evaluating former vice chairman Kim as someone who withstood prosecution investigations until the end, targeted Supreme Council candidate Lee. He asked party members ahead of the Seoul and Gyeonggi primaries whether they would choose a candidate who tried to deprive a comrade—who fought against the prosecution—of his opportunity.

According to Democratic Party rules, candidates for party office must be full members who joined the party at least six months before the election date and paid party dues at least six times in the preceding year. The party leadership granted an exception exclusively for candidates Song Young-gil and Kim Yong through a resolution by the Supreme Council and the Party Affairs Committee, allowing them to run.