Kim Du-kwan: "Choi Jae-hyung is a Much Worse Case than Yoon Seok-yeol"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Kim Du-gwan, a presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized former Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman Choi Jae-hyung's entry into the People Power Party as "a much worse case than former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl."

On the 16th, Kim appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "It is a behavior that seriously violates the spirit of the Constitution, and I personally strongly condemn it. It is not desirable for officials from investigative agencies to run for president immediately."

He added, "The term of the Prosecutor General is set by the Prosecutors' Office Act, but the term of the Board of Audit and Inspection Chairman is stipulated in the Constitution, requiring strong independence and neutrality. I find it hard to understand as common sense that someone who has abandoned the democratic values prescribed by the Constitution can run again as a representative of the people."

Former Chairman Choi resigned and joined the People Power Party as a regular member just 17 days later on the 15th. Kim said, "I believe he engaged in many political activities with a particular party in mind while serving as the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and I understand this is connected to investigations like the Wolsong nuclear power plant case."

Regarding former Prosecutor General Yoon, Kim launched a fierce attack over Yoon's remark that "if you are going to collect taxes to redistribute, it is better not to collect them." Kim had already criticized him as an "elementary school candidate." Kim said, "I was so dumbfounded that I said that," and added, "Doesn't the state perform income redistribution functions through taxes and finances? In fact, compared to advanced European countries, our country's redistribution function is weak." He continued, "I think former Prosecutor General Yoon was trying to criticize the universal disaster relief payments but misspoke, and that's how I understand it."