Democratic Party Cheonan City Council Members: "Chairperson Kim Haenggeum Referred to Ethics Committee for Misuse of Official Vehicle"

Procedures Likely to Proceed After Coordination with People Power Party

On May 9, members of the Cheonan City Council in South Chungcheong Province, affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that they have decided to refer Chairperson Kim Haenggeum to the Ethics Committee for attending the People Power Party’s national convention on a holiday, accompanied by staff members.

The council members made this decision after gathering opinions on disciplinary action against the chairperson in a small conference room of the council starting at 11:30 a.m. that day.

Park Jonggap, the floor leader, stated in a phone call that day, "As a result of the meeting, there was a suggestion to refer Chairperson Kim to the Ethics Committee," adding, "However, we also decided to seek the opinion of the People Power Party."

Regarding a motion of no confidence against the chairperson, he said, "It is difficult to comment at this time," but also left open the possibility, saying, "We agreed to first address the administrative aspects."

Previously, on May 3, which was a holiday, Chairperson Kim attended the presidential candidate nomination convention held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, using the official vehicle designated for the chairperson.

According to the Cheonan City Council’s vehicle operation log, the chairperson used the official vehicle for 294 kilometers from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The vehicle was reportedly driven by a dedicated public official.