Democratic Party floor leader Han Byung-do said Tuesday he will work alongside Lee Won-taek, the party's candidate for North Jeolla Province governor, to help him win the upcoming local election and lead a major leap forward for the province.
"I am personally very close to candidate Lee, and we worked together at the provincial government and the presidential office," Han said at a press briefing at the North Jeolla Provincial Council. "As floor leader, I will stand with him so that he can win and lead a great leap forward for North Jeolla."
Han stressed that the province's development is possible only when a candidate from the ruling Democratic Party is elected, as it would allow various policy agendas to be concretized, realized, and pursued with speed. "I pledge to join hands firmly with candidate Lee and build seamless coordination with him," he said.
Regarding the so-called "sympathy theory" surrounding Kim Kwan-young, a preliminary candidate who was expelled from the Democratic Party over "cash distribution" and is said to have been disadvantaged during the nomination process, Han said, "I think such sympathy must not gain traction." He emphasized humility within the Democratic Party, adding, "I believe the Democratic Party needs to unite as one team and do better."
On the process of Kim's expulsion, Han said, "I was present when candidate Kim was expelled. The findings of the ethics inspection team were submitted, and none of the Supreme Council members raised any objections to the expulsion disciplinary measure." He added, "If the Democratic Party had accepted Kim as a candidate without disciplining him, the party would have faced unimaginable attacks from the People Power Party starting the very next day."
