Ethics Probe Ordered Before Reports on Kang Sunwoo's Nomination Fund Allegations
Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced on January 1 that he had ordered a party-level ethics inspection into former Floor Leader Kim Byungki on December 25 of last year.
After visiting the grave of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun in Bongha Village, Gimhae, on this day, Jeong met with reporters and stated, "No one in the party, regardless of their position or rank, can avoid being subject to an ethics inspection," revealing this fact.
He added, "Including Assemblywoman Kang Sunwoo, no one is off-limits," and continued, "I will sever what needs to be severed and continue what needs to be continued."
Jeong's action was taken before media reports emerged alleging that former Floor Leader Kim had condoned Assemblywoman Kang's suspected receipt of illicit nomination funds for the local elections.
On December 25, after a series of reports surfaced regarding various allegations of misconduct against him, former Floor Leader Kim claimed, "The informant is believed to be a former aide I once worked with, and is pretending to be a whistleblower through cunning rhetoric." However, when suspicions regarding Assemblywoman Kang's receipt of nomination funds were raised on the 29th, he resigned from his post as floor leader the following day.
At the time, the Democratic Party announced that only Assemblywoman Kang would be subject to an ethics inspection. A party official explained to the media on this day, "Because the floor leader was an elected position, the order for an ethics inspection was kept confidential."
With confirmation that an ethics inspection was also ordered for former Floor Leader Kim, the ethics inspection team is expected to broadly investigate the allegations against him as well.
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