Lee Yong-ho, a member of the People Power Party, said he "expected" the resignation of Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, who has been embroiled in a multi-billion coin scandal, and predicted that there would be limitations to the Democratic Party's fact-finding investigation.
On the 15th, Lee said on KBS's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs,' "Considering the situation the Democratic Party is in and Kim's position, he would probably resign. I saw that as the best way for them to minimize the damage, and as expected, he resigned," he said.
However, he believed that the resignation would not easily resolve the coin scandal. He said, "Considering the public suspicion and distrust, I think it is difficult for this to be wrapped up just like that."
The Democratic Party held a reform meeting the day before and decided to continue the fact-finding investigation into Kim. However, Lee said, "I think there are limits to how far you can conduct a fact-finding investigation and impose disciplinary actions on someone who has declared their intention to resign," adding, "Unless there are judicial procedures such as a search and seizure, it will be difficult to completely resolve the allegations currently being raised."
The People Power Party has filed a complaint against Kim with the National Assembly Ethics Committee. Lee said, "I understand that there are many lawmakers besides Kim who have been reported to the Ethics Committee. I have never heard that proper action has been taken against them," expressing skepticism.
Lee is calling for a full investigation into lawmakers' coin holdings. He said, "There may be lawmakers who hold coins. The reason I raised the need for a full investigation is because Kim's allegations were spreading not only within the Democratic Party but throughout the entire political sphere," adding, "Regarding game currencies, P2E (Play to Earn) companies and associations have been lobbying the National Assembly for several years. Such rumors have been rampant."
He continued, "There are even talks about a 'Wemix community.' If that is the case, I am raising the need for a full investigation targeting all lawmakers to resolve public suspicion."
However, within the ruling party, there are concerns that a full investigation might dilute the issue of Kim's coin scandal. Lee said, "I agree with that," adding, "Because politically, it is natural to see it that way. Although it is frustrating, Kim's issue will inevitably be clarified soon."
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