Kim Yong and Jeong Jin-sang Resign from Party Duty... Opposition Party Accepts Kim Yong's Resignation Letter

Jung Jin-sang's Detention Review Today, Resignation Decision to Follow
Earlier, 'Voluntary Resignation' Also Discussed Within the Party

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] It has been reported that Kim Yong, Deputy Director of the Minjoo Research Institute, and Jeong Jin-sang, Political Coordination Officer of the Party Representative's Secretariat, who are under prosecution investigation, have expressed their intention to resign from the Democratic Party. The party accepted Deputy Director Kim's resignation and decided to make a later judgment regarding Officer Jeong.

On the 23rd, Ahn Ho-young, the senior spokesperson of the Democratic Party, issued an official statement via text message, saying, "Deputy Director Kim, who is imprisoned due to unjust political persecution, expressed his intention to resign citing difficulties in performing party duties, and the party accepted it."

He also stated, "Officer Jeong also expressed his intention to resign, but since he is undergoing a detention review, the party will make a later judgment after seeing the results." On the same day afternoon, the Seoul Central District Court held a detention review hearing for Officer Jeong.

Earlier that morning, after the party's Supreme Council meeting, spokesperson Lim Oh-kyung said in a back briefing regarding the controversy over applying 'Party Charter Article 80' related to suspension of duties of party officials upon indictment, "Discussions have been ongoing, but the party believes the prosecution is conducting biased investigations, so discussing this now would be tantamount to acknowledging the prosecution's biased investigation," adding, "There has been no discussion at all."

However, within the party, voices calling for the two to resign also emerged. Jeong Seong-ho, a leading figure of the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction and a Democratic Party lawmaker, said on the previous day’s YTN radio program ‘News King Park Ji-hoon’ regarding Deputy Director Kim, "Wouldn't it be better for him to voluntarily resign?"

Kim, a close aide of Party Representative Lee Jae-myung, was arrested and indicted on the 8th on charges of receiving illegal political funds amounting to 847 million KRW from April to August last year after requesting former Director Yoo in February last year, saying, "I am touring the southern regions including Gwangju and need funds."

Officer Jeong was arrested on the 19th on four charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, acceptance of bribes after improper conduct, violation of the Anti-Corruption Act, and obstruction of justice by destroying evidence. The prosecution alleges that from February 2013 to October 2020, Officer Jeong received 140 million KRW from Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, and others in exchange for facilitating various projects.