Kim Hyung-o "Kim Mi-gyun's Nomination Withdrawn... Will Take Responsibility and Resign as Nomination Committee Chair" (Summary)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Hyung-o, the chairman of the nomination committee, has decided to resign taking responsibility for the nomination of Kim Mi-gyun, the Gangnam-byeong candidate, who sparked a 'pro-government controversy.' Going forward, Vice Chairman Lee Seok-yeon will serve as acting chairman.

On the 13th, Chairman Kim held a press conference at the National Assembly and stated, "First, I withdraw the recommendation of Kim Mi-gyun, the Gangnam-byeong candidate who was initially selected. I will take responsibility for this entire situation and resign from the position of nomination committee chairman."

He said, "The nomination committee members truly worked hard," adding, "However, I could not fully honor their intentions nor retract the recommendation, and at times I made judgment errors. Through my resignation, I hope the party, centered on the United Future Party, will uphold conservative core values well and unite."

Chairman Kim said, "When I said I would resign, everyone said they would resign too, but I stopped them," adding, "There is one last duty remaining, so I cannot resign yet." Going forward, Vice Chairman Lee will take over as acting chairman.

Kim Mi-gyun, who sparked the pro-government controversy on social networking services (SNS), previously held a press conference stating that his political orientation is not clear and that he does not support the ruling party. However, Chairman Kim said, "No matter how good a product is, if customers do not buy it, it is no use. Even if we tried hard to discover good talent, if it is distant from voters' preferences, the final judgment and responsibility lie with me as the nomination committee chairman. We had a hard time recruiting a gem-like figure like candidate Kim, but we had no choice but to withdraw, which I thought was the right thing to do."

He emphasized, "The nomination committee will remain steadfast and continue to carry out its duties. We will uphold the initial spirit of reform and renewal until the end."

When asked if the recent 'sacheon controversy' was behind his resignation, he said, "If we recruit with difficulty, it is called sacheon; if we recommend experienced or old members, it is called 'recycling' or 'old-fashioned.' I believe those who say this are a very small minority. None of us, including myself, feel ashamed regarding the sacheon controversy," he said.