Former Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo: "I Will Return to Gangseo"

Former Seoul Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo Issues Statement on the 14th: “Thank You to the People Who Corrected the Political Trial and to President Yoon Suk-yeol”... "I reported to catch the thief, but only the reporter was punished... I will return to Gangseo," expressing intention to run in the October 11 by-election

Kim Tae-woo, former mayor of Gangseo District

Former Seoul Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo, after receiving a special pardon and reinstatement on August 15 Liberation Day, issued his first statement under his name on the 14th, saying, "I reported to catch the thief, but only the reporter was punished. I will return to Gangseo."

This appears to reaffirm that the 'whistleblower' himself was the victim of a political trial.

Former Mayor Kim said, "‘Whistleblower’ Kim Tae-woo has been pardoned and reinstated today. I deeply thank President Yoon Suk-yeol and the government authorities who decided on the pardon. I also bow my head in gratitude to the citizens who have continuously supported and encouraged me, and to the fifteen fellow district mayors from the People Power Party who worked hard for the pardon."

He continued, "I was the first to expose the corruption of the Moon Jae-in administration, and after 4 years and 8 months, I have finally fully restored my honor today. If Cho Kuk is guilty, then Kim Tae-woo is innocent. The political prosecution by the Moon Jae-in prosecution against me, a ‘whistleblower,’ was a political oppression to conceal the criminal acts of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk and others," he criticized.

He added, "I was forced out of the workplace where I had worked for over ten years simply because I informed the public of the wrongdoings of those in power. The ruthless Moon Jae-in administration treated me as a ‘loach’ that muddies the water, subjecting me to intimidation and ridicule." He lamented, "Due to the shock, my mother developed symptoms of dementia, and my two-year-old daughter and five-year-old son, who witnessed the dawn house search, suffered an indelible trauma." He expressed that the time of pain endured was not only for himself but for his entire family because of the ‘whistleblowing.’

Former Mayor Kim criticized, "The ‘Kim Myeong-su’s court’ branded the whistleblower with the contradictory charge of leaking official secrets and stigmatized me as a criminal. With a judgment of barely half a page, it betrayed the will of 570,000 Gangseo residents. This was not a judgment but politics, and politics covered up the public interest. I reported to catch the thief, but the thief was not caught, and only the reporter was punished."

However, he claimed that even their power could not hide the truth. His whistleblowing revealed corrupt politicians and officials of the Moon Jae-in administration, and the wrongful practice of using power to cover up one’s own mistakes while digging up weaknesses of the opposition was also eliminated.

He strongly expressed his intention to run in the Gangseo District Mayor by-election on October 11, saying, “I will return to Gangseo.”

Former Mayor Kim said, "During difficult times, Seoul Gangseo warmly welcomed me, who had nowhere to go due to whistleblowing. The 570,000 Gangseo residents chose me as ‘Gangseo District Mayor’ while I was sentenced guilty in the first trial and still undergoing trial."

He continued, "To repay this, ‘Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo’ devoted all his passion to district administration until his cervical disc ruptured. The reason we could achieve long-awaited projects that previous local governments failed to accomplish for over ten years in a short period was solely thanks to the expectations and support of Gangseo residents." He added, "Although the wrongful accusation has been cleared by today’s pardon, it is not over yet. Now it is time for the righteous citizens to judge the ‘Kim Myeong-su judiciary’ that carried out political retaliation. It is time for the people to raise their voices so that our children can grow up in a Republic of Korea where common sense and justice live."

Finally, former Mayor Kim concluded, "If the party and the people allow, I want to spend the rest of my time more meaningfully again in Gangseo. I will not refuse any method or role. I will use the opportunity given by the people to serve the people. Thank you."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.