Kim Dong-yeon "Donation Suspicion? More Like 'Forget It'... Donations Received Long Before Meeting Lee Jae-myung"

Kim Dong-yeon, the Democratic Party candidate for Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is attending a campaign rally held in front of Emart Gyeonggi Gwangju branch in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province on the 20th, taking commemorative photos with citizens. Photo by National Assembly Press Photographers Group

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Kim Dong-yeon, the Democratic Party candidate for Gyeonggi Province governor, actively refuted allegations on the 24th that he received large sums of donations from former executives of a specific company during the unification process with Lee Jae-myung, then the Democratic Party presidential candidate (currently the party's general election campaign committee chairman). He explained that the donations were made in October last year, and discussions about unification with Chairman Lee could only have started from February this year.

At a press conference at the National Assembly on the same day, Candidate Kim said, "I cannot contain my anger over the specific claims made by the opposing party yesterday and today," adding, "I don't even know who they are, but upon investigation, it relates to donations made in October last year. October last year was about a month after I declared my presidential candidacy, when I started as a political startup with no foundation, completely bare-handed."

Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the People Power Party, claimed at the party's floor strategy meeting that day, "Candidate Kim must clearly explain why he received large donations from Chairman Kim, who is suspected of paying legal fees on behalf of candidate Lee Jae-myung." He added, "The timing of the donation coincides with when unification talks between candidate Lee and candidate Kim Dong-yeon (then a candidate of the New Wave party) were raised." Floor leader Kwon urged, "Candidate Kim should disclose his relationship with former Chairman Kim and the circumstances under which he received the donations to prove his integrity."

Candidate Kim explained, "It is said that I had unification in mind with Chairman Lee, but the first time I met Chairman Lee was in February this year, and I never pursued merger or unification; I said I would run to the end."

Candidate Kim pointed out, "Seeing claims that link me to Daejang-dong or suggest I had unification in mind based on donations from someone I did not know and had no acquaintance with in October last year makes me feel nothing but indignation and anger as an ordinary person before being a politician."

He said, "Raising such issues in an 'if not, then forget it' manner and misleading the public through the media makes me think that political reform is necessary."