Kim Namguk, Who Faced "Influence Peddling" Controversy, Returns as Democratic Party Spokesperson

Kim Namguk, former lawmaker

The Democratic Party of Korea announced on the 23rd that it has appointed former lawmaker Kim Namguk as the party spokesperson.

Park Soo-hyun, senior spokesperson of the Democratic Party, met with reporters immediately after the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly that morning and said, "At a time when the party must support the state agenda, I expect him to play an appropriate role," announcing the appointment.

In response to a reporter's question about who recommended him for the spokesperson post, Senior Spokesperson Park said, "It was something both I and the party leader agreed on," and added, "We are grateful that he accepted the offer to serve as spokesperson ahead of the local elections."

Spokesperson Kim said, "I will accurately convey the voices from the front lines of people's livelihoods to the party, and I will clearly deliver the party's message as an expression of the people."

Meanwhile, Spokesperson Kim had worked as the Blue House Secretary for Digital Communications since June of last year, but resigned in December of that year when a controversy over alleged influence peddling in personnel matters arose. This came after it became publicly known that he had exchanged text messages of a personnel-request nature with lawmaker Moon Jinseok, who was then the Democratic Party's senior deputy floor leader for operations. At the time, the Blue House drew a line, stating that no actual act of personnel solicitation had taken place.