"Cleanly Without Corruption, Kim Moon-soo"

Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate from the People Power Party, drew attention with his reported rejection of a 1 billion won compensation for the democratization movement, although claims have emerged that this is largely false.

On the 13th, the Busan Regional Headquarters of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions declared support for Candidate Kim. During this event, Park Jin-soo, a joint campaign committee member from the People Power Party and a former member of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, stated, "After the democratization movement, compensation came out for it. Back then, it was 1 billion won. He did not receive that 1 billion won."

He continued, "If he had received that 1 billion won at the time, his wife might have lived a little better, but he refused to take that money, which was made from the blood tax of the citizens and the laborers."

Immediately following Park Jin-soo's remarks, Candidate Kim did not correct or deny the facts.

On the same day, one of the six presidential web posters shared in an online community supporting Kim included a phrase that read, "Integrity, that is something I have surely upheld. I have pursued something greater than money all this time. That is why Kim Moon-soo did not receive the 1 billion won."

On the same day, part of the shared web posters was also posted on Kim's social media. However, the poster mentioning '1 billion won' could not be found on Kim's social media.

Claim that Kim Moon-soo rejected 1 billion won democratization movement compensation is 'largely false.'

On the 17th, News Tapa reported that the claim that Candidate Kim 'refused' 1 billion won he could have received is untrue.

According to their explanation, the possible compensation amount for Candidate Kim's history of participation in the democratization movement was estimated to be around 24 million won, which is 40% of the average monthly income of urban workers (for a four-member household) in 2004, approximately 200,000 won, multiplied by a 30-month imprisonment duration related to the May 3rd Democratic Uprising.

This amount became difficult to claim due to revisions made to the democratization compensation law and its enforcement decree in 2005.

During this period, a provision excluding certain individuals from receiving living support funds was established. Those excluded included: ▲ applicants whose previous year's annual household income exceeded the average household expenditure for workers, ▲ those employed for over a year as public servants of grade 5 or higher (including political appointees), and ▲ those employed for over a year as executives in public institutions.

Therefore, at that time, Candidate Kim, who was consecutively serving as a three-term member of the National Assembly (1995–2006) and as the governor of Gyeonggi Province (2006–2014), became ineligible to receive compensation.

News Tapa concluded, "While it is possible that Candidate Kim was aware of this fact and did not submit a claim for compensation, it cannot be said that he actively refused a substantial amount of compensation he could have received."

In relation to this, a publicity official from the People Power Party's campaign committee told News Tapa, “Candidate Kim has never stated how much he could have received from the democratization movement compensation; it appears that discussions are circulating about him mentioning that he simply did not apply for compensation.”

On the 19th, the Central Election Countermeasure Committee of the Democratic Party decided to report Kim Moon-soo, the presidential candidate from the People Power Party, to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency for 'spreading false facts' under the Public Official Elections Act.

That day, Park Min-young, spokesperson for the Central Campaign Committee of the People Power Party, countered, “Unlike Candidate Lee Jae-myung, who has faced countless controversies over the private use of corporate cards, there is no reason to have to prove morality by invoking non-existent facts.”

Image Sources: Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate from the People Power Party / News1, x(twitter) 're_paran', facebook 'jeong.uchang.145156', Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate from the People Power Party, campaigning on the 19th at Seoul Station Square in Jung-gu, Seoul, holding hands with joint campaign committee chairperson Kwon Seong-dong and legislators Na Kyung-won and Ahn Cheol-soo. / News1, Kim Moon-soo, presidential candidate from the People Power Party, campaigning at Seoul Station Square in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 19th. / News1