The Democratic Party of Korea has allowed Rep. Song Young-gil and former Democratic Research Institute Vice President Kim Yong to run in the Aug. 17 party convention, both of whom had faced disputes over their candidate qualifications.
The party decided to grant an exception to the candidate qualifications for the two men after a secret-ballot vote at a Supreme Council meeting on the 17th, and resolved to refer the matter to the Party Affairs Committee. The Party Affairs Committee convened the same day and passed the measure.
Earlier, the party leadership held a late-night emergency meeting of Supreme Council members the previous day after disqualifying grounds were confirmed for the two men's candidacies, but failed to reach a conclusion. The issue was unpaid party dues. Under party rules, the right to run in party office elections is granted to eligible members, who are defined as those who joined at least six months before the implementation date and paid party dues at least six times within one year before that date.
In a statement issued after the Party Affairs Committee's resolution, Rep. Song said, "Today's decision is neither a privilege nor a favor," adding that "it was handled in accordance with the party constitution and rules." He stressed that it was "confirmation of the common sense that the time taken away by the prosecution cannot constitute grounds for disqualification, and the restoration of a procedure that should rightly have taken place."
Song left the party in 2023 over the "cash envelope distribution" allegations, and rejoined on Feb. 27 this year after being acquitted with a final ruling. As of the 16th, the first day of candidate registration, six months had not yet passed since his return. Kim was sentenced to prison at the second trial on charges of receiving money from private developers in the Daejang-dong development, and his account was frozen while he was serving his sentence, leaving him unable to meet the party dues payment requirement, according to reports.
Kim, too, was sentenced to prison at the second trial in connection with charges of receiving money from a group of private developers in the Daejang-dong development, and failed to meet the party dues payment requirement due to account freezes and other measures while serving his sentence.
However, if substantial grounds are recognized, an exception to eligibility can be determined by the Party Affairs Committee following a Supreme Council resolution. At the previous day's meeting, Supreme Council members from the pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) faction opposed convening the Party Affairs Committee, delaying a conclusion. But with the Supreme Council deciding to refer the matter to the Party Affairs Committee on this day, the issue of the two men's candidacy qualifications was effectively resolved.
