Kim Min-seok: 'Rescinding fabricated indictments is the principle'

Kim Min-seok, a leading candidate for the Democratic Party's leadership, asserted that fabricated indictments should be rescinded as a matter of principle, calling any attempt to resolve such cases through trials "violence and barbarism."

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Fabricated indictments should be rescinded as a principle. It is violence and barbarism to demand that a wrongful indictment be resolved through a trial.

In an interview with Hankyoreh, Kim outlined his plans if elected party leader, including the direct chairmanship of a new "Mega-Project and Region-Led Growth Special Committee." This committee would oversee his proposed "3 Mega-Projects," which he rephrased as the "Honam-Daehan Mega-Projects," aiming to integrate regional development across Honam, Chungcheong, and Yeongnam with other areas.

Kim, a four-term lawmaker and former Prime Minister under the Lee Jae-myung administration, is currently leading the party's leadership race. He holds a 1.48 percentage point lead over rival Chung Jin-suk after the second round of regional primaries. If elected, Kim plans to launch six key committees, including those focused on integration, nominations, youth, polarization, and party member rights and artificial intelligence.

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As an administration, we do not have the resources to engage in vote buying. We have been using state resources to pay local government workers since our local government allocation was withheld almost two years ago.

Addressing the controversy surrounding potential exemptions to the 52-hour workweek for mega-project zones, Kim stated that a conclusion is not necessary at this moment. He believes such issues should be discussed through public deliberation as new challenges arise with large-scale, high-tech industrial investments. Regarding party unity, Kim pledged to set aside any lingering resentments with competitors and prioritize meritocracy in appointments, dismissing the relevance of factions.

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I am not worried that I am contesting against a party that has 34 governors; I am a bulldozer. If they like, they should bring all their governors; they are all my friends.