Kim Nam-guk, Who Said He Wears '30,000 Won Sneakers,' "I've Never Pretended to Be Poor"

"Reflecting on Investing Committee Time in Virtual Currency"
Past Remarks Include 'Daily Ramen and Motel Stays'

Independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk, who left the Democratic Party of Korea amid controversies over holding and trading large amounts of virtual assets (coins), once again denied various allegations. He also stated that he never pretended to be poor.

On the 8th, Kim opened his statement on his Facebook post by saying, "Although it was a short period, I deeply regret investing in virtual currency during committee hours. I also fully understand that investing in virtual currency does not align with public sentiment."

However, he refuted several controversies against him as falsehoods. Kim emphasized, "Claims such as illegal fund investments, insider trading, and laundering election funds are all baseless falsehoods and groundless political attacks," adding, "I have never pretended to be poor."

Independent lawmaker Kim Nam-guk [Photo by Yonhap News]

Regarding his activities as a lawmaker, Kim said, "I truly worked with sincerity and genuineness. I diligently visited every neighborhood resident, thinking that each one was watching." He added, "I am not a politician who just gives a congratulatory speech, greets formally, and leaves; I always tried to put care and sincerity into every word." He also stated, "I never worked out of any desire for power or position."

Finally, he said, "I do not know how to fully convey my true intentions, but I will reflect once again and work with a humbler attitude and more sincerity."

Previously, Kim made statements on various media such as broadcasts and YouTube channels, saying things like "I eat only ramen every day," "My shoes bought for 37,000 won got holes," "As a lawmaker, I have never stayed at a hotel and slept with two aides in a motel," and "As a lawyer, I couldn’t even earn 1 million won a month." Perhaps due to his tearful pleas, last year Kim raised 330.14 million won in political donations, ranking first among all lawmakers.

Meanwhile, Kim was referred to the National Assembly Ethics Special Committee over the controversy regarding his large holdings of virtual assets. The Ethics Review Advisory Committee, which is reviewing Kim’s case, held its fifth meeting on the 3rd and discussed violations of the National Assembly Act and abuse of authority based on virtual asset transaction records submitted by Kim, but was unable to reach a conclusion regarding disciplinary action.