The camp of independent candidate Kim Kwan-young, running for North Jeolla governor, pushed back hard at the Democratic Party of Korea leadership that announced a policy of "permanent ban on readmission," saying it would "refuse even if readmission were offered."
In a statement released on the afternoon of the 10th, Kim Kwan-young's North Jeolla governor election committee said, "Deputy Minister Cho Seung-rae, at a press briefing, cited those without eligibility to run who leave the party and run as independents or with other parties, naming Governor Kim Kwan-young as a representative case and categorizing him as subject to a permanent ban on readmission," adding, "It is beyond tragic, even pitiable, that they still have not grasped why so many North Jeolla residents called Kim to be the residents' candidate."
Earlier, Cho Seung-rae, head of the general headquarters of the Democratic Party of Korea's election committee, held a press briefing at the National Assembly and declared a permanent ban on readmission for candidate Kim Kwan-young, who decided to run as an independent, saying it constituted an act against the party.
In response, Kim Kwan-young's campaign said, "What enrages North Jeolla residents is that the Democratic Party leadership stripped Governor Kim of even the minimal chance to explain and summarily expelled him in just 12 hours, while the suspicions raised about their loyalist candidate Lee Won-taek were brushed aside with a mere two phone calls," adding, "They must face the fact that the tide of public sentiment—saying residents must save Kim Kwan-young, whom Jung Chung-rae cast off—is growing stronger as time passes."
It continued, "Pre-candidate Kim Kwan-young makes clear that under the Jung Chung-rae leadership, blinded by private interest, there would be no accepting readmission even if it were offered, and there is all the more no reason to apply for readmission," adding, "Before Deputy Minister Cho claims that a public party is not something one can come and go from at will, we hope he will place a hand on his heart and reflect on whether he exercised party power as a public party based on fairness and justice."
Kim Kwan-young's campaign said, "Pre-candidate Kim Kwan-young has nothing to plead for and nothing to apologize for to the current Jung Chung-rae leadership that is ruining the Democratic Party," adding, "The powerful public sentiment to nominate Kim Kwan-young as the residents' candidate, which swiftly drew signatures from some 7,000 people as soon as it emerged, is the greatest strength for candidate Kim."