Jang Donghyuk Deletes Mention of Lee Jaemyung as “Backer” in Nomination Fund Scandal

Posted on Facebook Calling for Special Prosecutor
Deleted Phrase: "At That Time, the Party Leader Was President Lee"

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, has raised concerns over the background of the single-candidate nomination in the recent Democratic Party nomination fund controversy, pointing to President Lee Jaemyung as the potential “backer” behind the scenes. He also called for a special prosecutor to investigate the case.

On January 4, Jang wrote on Facebook, “If you listen to the recording between Assemblyman Kim Byungki and Assemblywoman Kang Sunwoo, it is clear that Assemblywoman Kang should have quietly returned 100 million won to Kim Kyung and ended the matter. However, the situation unfolded in the exact opposite way. The very next day, the single-candidate nomination letter was delivered to Kim Kyung.”

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is delivering a greeting at the 2026 New Year's Economic Meeting held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, “It’s impossible to know who was backing this. However, it must have been someone higher up than Kim Byungki. At that time, the party leader was President Lee Jaemyung. This is why a special prosecutor is necessary.” Although Jang said it was unclear who the “backer” was, he effectively suggested that President Lee could have been involved, emphasizing the need for a special prosecutor investigation.

However, he did not provide any separate evidence to support the claim that then-leader Lee Jaemyung was connected to the case.

At a press conference on January 2, Jang also stated, “Assemblywoman Kang Sunwoo attended the party’s nomination committee meeting and strongly demanded that Kim Kyung, a city council member, be nominated as the sole candidate. This is all recorded in the meeting minutes. It amounts to selling the nomination letter in exchange for money.”

Jang further claimed, “The actions of former floor leader Kim Byungki are even more serious. It is said that Kim Byungki’s spouse directly demanded and received money. There is even shocking testimony that ‘when 10 million won was given, it was returned because it was deemed insufficient.’”

However, about an hour and a half after posting his Facebook message on January 4, Jang edited part of the post, deleting the phrase, “At that time, the party leader was President Lee Jaemyung,” and reposted the revised version.

Assemblyman Kang Sunwoo and Assemblyman Kim Byungki. Photo by Yonhap News

Chief Spokesperson Choi Boyoon also issued a statement, urging a special prosecutor investigation into the alleged nomination backroom dealings involving former floor leader Kim Byungki. The allegation is that Kim Byungki received money from former Dongjak District Council members ahead of the 2020 general election and then returned it.

Chief Spokesperson Choi stated, “What is even more shocking is that although a petition was delivered to then-leader Lee Jaemyung’s office, no official action was taken, and ultimately, the matter was returned to former floor leader Kim Byungki’s side. This raises suspicions that their criminal charges were overlooked in exchange for allowing them to wield the power of nomination for ‘sudden death’ candidates.”

Previously, Assemblywoman Kang Sunwoo was accused of receiving a 100 million won nomination fund from Kim Kyung, then a Seoul City Council candidate, during the 2022 local elections. She recently left the party and received a disciplinary action equivalent to expulsion.