Human Error! … Why the Democratic Party Refuses to Call It “Nomination Bribery”

[Choice Times=Jin-Young Jang, Head of the Dongjak-Gap Party Chapter of the People Power Party (Attorney)]

“I thought nomination money was something that only existed in the People Power Party.”
— Park Soo-hyun, Spokesperson for the Democratic Party

“It’s a human error.”
— Chung Cheong-rae, Party Leader

Both of these figures are saying the same thing: that “nomination bribery” is not a structural problem of the Democratic Party but merely an individual deviation.

The first time allegations that Rep. Kim Byung-gi had accepted bribes surfaced was in 2020—and that exposure came from the mouth of a Democratic Party lawmaker. Despite this, Kim Byung-gi became the Democratic Party’s floor leader in 2024.

If testimony emerges that not one but two local councilors paid bribes, and yet such a person still becomes floor leader, that is the first powerful piece of evidence that nomination bribery is a customary practice within the Democratic Party.

Despite no fewer than twelve allegations being leveled against Kim Byung-gi—including bribery for nominations—the party, even as elections approach, wrings its hands and fails to cut him loose. This is the second piece of evidence showing that Kim Byung-gi represents the Democratic Party’s average.

Likewise, Kim Kyung, a Seoul city councilor who admitted to giving bribes to Rep. Kang Sun-woo of Gangseo District in Seoul, stated the truth outright: “Why am I the only one being targeted? Nomination bribery was a common practice.”

The Democratic Party stubbornly refuses to call it “nomination bribery” and insists on calling it “nomination donations.” There is a reason they cannot bring themselves to use the word “bribery.”

A donation is something you give to God. Money given to a National Assembly member is a bribe, plain and simple. As the saying goes, if you see one cockroach, there are a thousand more. It is not just Kang Sun-woo and Kim Byung-gi—the entire system is rotten. There should be a full investigation or a special prosecutor, including the People Power Party as well.

#NominationBribery #PoliticalCorruption #KoreanPolitics