Kim Byung-wook, a preliminary candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea for Seongnam mayor in Gyeonggi, said he would accept the central party's switch to a primary.
Preliminary Seongnam mayoral candidate Kim Byung-wook said in a statement on the 27th that he would accept "with a spirit of putting the party before self" the Supreme Council's decision to overturn the single nomination of former lawmaker Kim as the Seongnam mayoral candidate and to select the candidate again through a primary.
Earlier, the Gyeonggi provincial party on the 20th gave a single nomination for Seongnam mayor to former lawmaker Kim Byung-wook, a member of the original pro-Myung group "Group of Seven." Kim served as a lawmaker for Seongnam Bundang B in the 20th–21st National Assembly and as senior presidential secretary for political affairs in the Lee Jae-myung administration's Blue House.
In response, former Spokesperson Kim Ji-ho protested and filed for a retrial. He also raised questions about the source of funds in the process of purchasing a Gangnam apartment by the elder son of former lawmaker Kim.
The Democratic Party said in a media notice on the 26th, "The party's Integrated Verification Center determined that the allegations regarding candidate Kim's child were resolved as a result of the inquiry," adding, "If negative primary campaigning continues against the central party's decision, we decided to take strong measures, including revoking candidate eligibility."
On the day, the preliminary candidate Kim said, "What was once again officially confirmed through the Review Committee and the Supreme Council is 'that my single recommendation as the Seongnam mayoral candidate was appropriately made in accordance with the candidate screening criteria,'" and added, "The suspicions over the process of my elder son's real estate purchase, triggered by a rival after the nomination screening results were announced, were also resolved as 'not true' after the Review Committee and the central party's Integrated Verification Center reviewed the explanatory materials."
Kim emphasized, "I have conducted confident politics that are not shameful compared with any other politician," adding, "I meet the party's 'four nos, four strengths' principle for selecting candidates in this local election, and the re-verification by the party's retrial committee concerning my elder son's home purchase also found no problem."
He added, "For victory in Seongnam, I chose unity and responsibility, not conflict," and "I will follow the will of party members and citizens to win without fail with united strength."