The Democratic Party's Selective Double Standards: "Why Are Some Allowed While Others Are Not?"

Different Outcomes for Similar Allegations: "Contradictory Blades"

Expulsion in a Day, Ethics Probe in a Day: "Double Standards"

Jeonbuk Governor Candidate Close to Leadership Cleared in Just One Day

Ten Days of Silence on the Gwangju Nam-gu Primary Allegations

Police Investigations Show Stark Contrasts in Handling Primary Races

As the June 3 local elections approach, the Democratic Party is facing mounting criticism for applying entirely different standards to similar allegations that have arisen during its primary process. Suspicions are also growing that the party discipline is being enforced in a way that benefits certain candidates.

Jeong Cheongrae, the leader of the Democratic Party, held an on-site Supreme Council meeting on April 10 at the Damyang Nonghyup headquarters in Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do. 2026.4.10 Photo by Song Bohyun

The Gwangju Nambu Police Department recently booked two supporters of a specific candidate without detention at the end of last month, on charges of providing meals to 25 voters during the Democratic Party's primary for the Nam-gu district head in Gwangju. It is reported that the complaint included videos and photos of the meal, as well as audio recordings of statements supporting the particular candidate. There are even indications that those who attended the meal later appeared at a joint campaign event the following day, actively supporting the candidate as an organized group.

Despite the abundance of concrete evidence and circumstantial details, the police investigation has made little progress. More than ten days after receiving the complaint, the Nambu Police Department continues to repeat that the investigation is "still in its early stages." Given that violations of the Public Official Election Act have a statute of limitations of only six months, swift investigation is crucial. The police's passive attitude has been criticized for effectively shielding the candidate in question.

The attitude of the Democratic Party's central leadership is no different. When a preliminary candidate for the same Nam-gu district head race distributed a press release claiming support from a National Assembly member, the central party immediately launched an investigation, describing it as "a serious matter that undermines fair competition" and issued a stern warning. While remaining silent on the hospitality allegations despite overwhelming evidence, the party responded with lightning speed to a single press release. At the time, Assemblyman Jeong Jinuk publicly expressed his discomfort on social media, saying, "If you touch it, I'll pursue it to the end," and, "Have you ever seen such swift handling of affairs?"

The Democratic Party's inconsistent handling was also evident in the primary for the Jeonbuk governor race.

On April 1, after reports emerged that Kim Kwan-young, governor of Jeonbuk, had paid chauffeur fees to young party members and local council members in November of last year, the Democratic Party leadership immediately expelled Kim from the party that day. Although he had been leading in various opinion polls, Kim was denied even the opportunity to compete in the primary. Kim insisted that he had recovered all the payments, but the party did not accept his explanation.

In contrast, on April 7, suspicions arose that a provincial council member close to Assemblyman Lee Wontak had split and paid for a meal attended by Lee. Party leader Jeong Cheongrae immediately ordered an urgent ethics inspection. However, by the following day, April 8, the party had reached a provisional conclusion that Lee had no wrongdoing, placing all responsibility on the council member who paid. The scheduled primary vote proceeded as planned. Lee, who is considered to be in Jeong Cheongrae's faction, responded by saying, "I respect the Ethics Inspection Team's investigation and the Supreme Council's decision."

The Jeonbuk provincial branch of the People Power Party issued a press release on April 8, stating, "While Governor Kim Kwan-young was expelled, there was no issue with Lee Wontak running in the primary; the party quickly covered for him." They also pointed out, "Once again, Jeong Cheongrae's Democratic Party showed a stark difference in disciplinary decisions based on factional alignment."

The party has not clearly explained the criteria that distinguished between Governor Kim and Assemblyman Lee.

There are also claims that the intensity of the police investigation varies significantly depending on the case. On April 6, the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency conducted a sudden search and seizure of Governor Kim Kwan-young's office, his secretary's office, and vehicles as part of an investigation into alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act. The forced investigation lasted about two hours and thirty minutes.

In comparison, the Gwangju Nambu Police Department has repeatedly stated that it is "still in the early stages of investigation," even more than ten days after receiving a complaint containing specific evidence such as videos, photos, and audio recordings. Although both cases involve alleged violations of the Public Official Election Act, the stark difference in the speed and intensity of the investigations has drawn suspicion.

A source in the local political scene commented, "In investigations of election-related crimes, speed is synonymous with fairness. If the police show a passive attitude toward certain cases, that in itself fuels suspicion." The source also pointed out, "At the very least, a prompt fact-finding investigation by the Democratic Party's central leadership is necessary to minimize voter confusion."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.