'I wrote it alone while thinking about candidates... never asked anyone's opinion'
Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok said Thursday that the list of Seoul mayoral contenders he had scribbled in his notebook referred to Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff ("Hoon-sik"), National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik ("Won-sik"), and former party leader Jung Chung-rae ("Chung-rae"), adding that the initials "MS" stood for his own name.
Appearing on the Democratic Party's YouTube channel that day, Kim explained the backstory behind the notebook, which was photographed in the National Assembly's main chamber Wednesday and appeared to list contenders for the next Seoul mayoral race. "I believe there is a 99.99 percent chance of both a Seoul mayoral election and a National Assembly by-election in Gangneung," he said.
Kim said he was responsible for the by-elections in Seoul and Gangneung and that preparing for them was only natural, adding that Seoul already had candidates who had run in the previous primary election. He named former Seongdong-gu District Mayor Jeong Won-o, Reps. Park Ju-min, Jeon Hyun-hee and Seo Young-kyo, and Park Hong-keun, minister of planning and budget. He also said the writing behind those names referred to former trade minister Kim Hyun-chong, Seoul National University professor Kim Kyung-min and former professor Kim Jin-ai, among others.
Kim added that he had not sounded out any of the people listed on their own wishes. "This was something I thought up on my own, so I feel bad that it got caught on camera," he said. "Chief of Staff Kang is working hard right now, and Speaker Woo has likely left the speakership and is probably not even thinking about this — these are just things people around me talk about, so I hope you will understand."
Referring to former party leader Jung, Kim said Jung had told him to put his own name in the notebook as well. "My name is here too. I wondered if 'MS' meant Rep. Han Min-soo, but it is my name," he said. He added that the entry did not mean he intended to run, but rather reflected his analysis of what kind of candidate, with what qualities, would appeal to Seoul voters and be a sure-win pick.
After the notebook was made public, Jung took to Facebook to voice displeasure. "Why do you keep hitting a man who's already down? Isn't that too cruel?" Jung wrote. "Min-seok and Young-gil dreamed of becoming Seoul mayor and lost — if they're such good candidates, write them down in your notebook." The remark is widely interpreted as a dig at Kim's own history of running for Seoul mayor and losing, as well as that of Rep. Song Young-gil, who had competed against Jung in the party's leadership convention and had also run for Seoul mayor in the past.
Regarding the "Lee Jin-sook, Han Dong-hoon OUT" notation in his notebook, Kim said there was also the controversy over May 18, and that while the People Power Party claimed to carry on the legacy of former President Kim Young-sam, Rep. Lee Jin-sook denied it. "We are pursuing her expulsion or, at the very least, a suspension of her Assembly membership," he said.
Kim also said Rep. Han Dong-hoon had positioned himself as the attacker at the confirmation hearing for Justice Ministry nominee Kim Seung-won, but the episode ended up becoming the "Han Dong-hoon case." "The vice justice minister confirmed that the document Han produced was internal material," Kim said. "Given that there is more than reasonable doubt about a legal violation, he is not fit to serve as a lawmaker."
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