Kim Min-seok, Prime Minister Candidate, Addresses Asset Growth Allegations

Kim Min-seok, the candidate for Prime Minister, has clarified his stance regarding allegations of asset growth.

He explained that the income from congratulatory and condolence payments, as well as from his book launch event, was at a typical level, and that he utilized the income whenever it was generated, including for repaying debts such as surcharges.

On the evening of the 23rd, Candidate Kim appeared on CBS Radio's "Park Jae-hong's Hannam Win" and expressed, "It's embarrassing to speak about my assets, but including my mother's house, it amounts to 200 million won. Using the term 'asset growth' is quite uncomfortable."

He shared that the income sources outside of his salary include congratulatory money, condolence money, and book launch event proceeds. He expressed his regret over the misunderstanding that arose from these incomes being perceived as accumulated over a year, leading to the notion that "I hoarded 600 million won in a wardrobe."

Promise to Strengthen Communication with the Public

Candidate Kim stated, "Whenever income came in, I had to spend it at that time," and explained, "Primarily, it was used to fully pay off surcharges." He also emphasized that the condolence and congratulatory payments he received were not significantly different from those typically received by ordinary citizens of his age or other members of the assembly.

Regarding the income from the book launch, he mentioned that it "did not significantly deviate from general categories," and clarified that since he spent all of that income "at the time," it was not reflected in his asset report.

Additionally, Candidate Kim refuted allegations related to his children's education, stating, "When asked if there was any father advantage when my child went to university, there was none at all." He added that he was mindful of the possibility of misunderstandings surrounding this issue.

Meanwhile, Candidate Kim expressed his intention regarding the communication approach if appointed as Prime Minister, stating, "I need to meet more with opposition party lawmakers than the opposition party floor leader." He promised, "Rather than responding only to opposition lawmakers, I will approach this with a mindset of answering the public's curiosities."

Image Source: Kim Min-seok, Prime Minister candidate / News1, News1