People Power Party Demands Rep. Kim Seung-won's Resignation and Investigation
With former Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won stepping down of his own accord on the 19th, the People Power Party and other conservative opposition forces are demanding his resignation from the National Assembly and an investigation into his conduct.
Jang Dong-hyuk, the leader of the People Power Party, said that day, "It looks like another Kim Seung-won bombshell is about to drop." Jang claimed, "There were more drunk driving incidents, habitual verbal abuse and profanity directed at his aides, additional improper favors, accounting fraud at the Gyeonggi provincial chapter, and, sure enough, even sexual harassment," adding, "He has gathered every kind of scandal the Democratic Party is notorious for." Referencing Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok's assessment of the former nominee as "the more you look, the better the personnel choice," Jang quipped, "Mr. Kim certainly has an eye for talent."
He also raised questions of accountability for the personnel vetting process. Jang said, "At this point, shouldn't we start by purging the Cheong Wa Dae personnel line? Oh, right—the personnel line was Kim Hyun-ji."
Rep. Na Kyung-won wrote on Facebook, "An endless trail of corruption and criminal allegations, one leading to another," asking, "Was nominee Kim Seung-won's resignation a flight to prevent his additional wrongdoing from coming to light?" She went on to demand, "This should not be swept under the rug with his resignation as minister nominee. He must resign from the National Assembly and face investigation."
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon also held a press conference at the National Assembly, saying, "I had recently received indirect tips and was verifying claims about such issues involving drinking, sexual misconduct, and abuse of power," adding, "It would be best for the Democratic Party to report the sordid details itself."
Along with calls for an investigation, the conservative opposition urged President Lee Jae-myung to declare that he is abandoning his motion to withdraw his criminal appeals. People Power Party floor leader Jung Jeong-sik said on Facebook, "It is a pity that Kim Seung-won, the standard-bearer of President Lee's appeal withdrawal, has only now stepped down." He continued, "Unless the president abandons appeal withdrawal—his first national policy goal—replacing the standard-bearer of the scheme is meaningless," urging the president to declare he is abandoning it.
Kim Tae-kyu, the People Power Party's chief deputy spokesperson, said, "The petition was submitted to Cheong Wa Dae on the 17th, yet the president was still weighing the appointment until yesterday (the 18th)," demanding, "The Democratic Party and Cheong Wa Dae must apologize to the people for this personnel debacle." Senior spokesperson Park Sung-hoon also said in a statement, "This personnel debacle, with allegations of appointment rigging by presidential secretary Kim Hyun-ji, was a foreseeable disaster," calling for disciplinary action and dismissal of those responsible for the vetting process.
Lee Ki-in, emergency response committee chair of the Reform Party, wrote on Facebook, "If another 'trial-erasing' puppet is installed, a second and third Kim Seung-won affair will inevitably follow," adding, "What the president must change is not the nominee's name, but the purpose of the nomination."
