Kim Tae-woo, Whose Eligibility Restored, Contemplates Nomination
Concern Over 'Capital Region Crisis Theory' Spreading If Defeated
The ruling party's calculations have become complicated following the announcement of former Gangseo District Mayor Kim Tae-woo's intention to run in the upcoming by-election this October, after being reinstated through a special pardon on Liberation Day. Amid criticism from the opposition accusing Kim's pardon and reinstatement of 'privatizing the rule of law,' the ruling party may also face a public backlash for nominating a figure who caused the by-election in the first place.
Kim, a former prosecutor investigator and a member of the special inspection team at the Blue House's Office of Civil Affairs during the Moon Jae-in administration, was indicted in 2018 on charges of leaking official secrets after exposing allegations related to the special inspection team. In May, the Supreme Court confirmed his sentence of one year in prison with a two-year probation. Consequently, he lost his position as district mayor but recently regained his eligibility to run for office through a special pardon on Liberation Day.
After his pardon and reinstatement were confirmed, Kim expressed his intention to run in the October by-election through a statement, saying, "I will return to Gangseo District," and "If the party and the people allow me, I want to spend the remaining time of my life more meaningfully in Gangseo District."
Kim's official announcement to run again poses a dilemma for the ruling party. The Democratic Party of Korea is attacking the decision to pardon Kim as a 'challenge to the judiciary.' They argue that pardoning and reinstating Kim just three months after his guilty verdict was finalized shows a lack of respect for the judiciary's ruling.
The ruling party claims the decision considered Kim as a 'whistleblower' who exposed corruption in the previous administration, but the problem lies with public opinion. If the People Power Party nominates Kim, they may face criticism for allowing the person responsible for causing the by-election to run.
Such concerns are also voiced within the party. Cheon Ha-ram, the People Power Party's Jeonnam Suncheon-gap district committee chairman, said in a CBS radio interview, "I want to believe they won't nominate him again for the Gangseo District mayor in this October by-election," adding, "If they nominate him again, the leadership will collapse." Cheon pointed out, "The Supreme Court's final ruling has been made, and not respecting it contradicts the conservative party's usual emphasis on the rule of law and the stance of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration."
In this situation, winning the election would be fortunate, but if defeated, the ruling party's 'general election metropolitan area crisis theory' could spread uncontrollably, which is also a cause for concern. Since the Gangseo District mayoral by-election will be held in Seoul, the biggest battleground about six months before the general election, it serves as a litmus test for the general election landscape.
However, Gangseo District has traditionally been a stronghold of the Democratic Party, making it difficult to say the election is favorable for the ruling party. Before Kim, former Democratic Party mayor Noh Hyun-song succeeded in three consecutive terms in the district. From the People Power Party's perspective, the decision on whether to nominate Kim inevitably involves deep deliberation. Yet, excluding Kim from the nomination is not a clear solution either, as the pardon granted shortly before the election is interpreted as reflecting the presidential office's intention regarding Kim's renomination.
Some speculate that Kim may run not in the by-election but in next year's general election. Cheon said, "If they don't nominate him for the district mayor by-election, people might think, 'At least they didn't nominate him for the by-election,' and he might run in the general election," adding, "Since he wasn't nominated for the by-election, they fulfilled some duty, and if he runs in the general election, the controversy might be lessened."
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