{"id":2201004,"date":"2023-05-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-14T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201004"},"modified":"2023-05-14T21:13:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-14T12:13:21","slug":"lawmaker-kim-nam-kuk-exits-democratic-party-amid-cryptocurrency-controversy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/05\/lawmaker-kim-nam-kuk-exits-democratic-party-amid-cryptocurrency-controversy\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk exits Democratic Party amid cryptocurrency controversy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk has <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> his departure from the party in response to growing allegations concerning his <\/span>extensive cryptocurrency dealings<\/span><\/a>. The announcement was made on his social media page. Kim faced significant scrutiny following the revelation that he owned around 800,000 <\/span>Wemix coins<\/span><\/a> \u2014 a local cryptocurrency \u2014 in 2021, valued at roughly $4.5 million (6 billion won). He is alleged to have completely emptied his digital wallet of these coins just before the implementation of the <\/span>Travel Rule<\/span><\/a> in March of the previous year.<\/span><\/p>\n

In his Facebook post, Kim stated, \u201cToday, I am briefly leaving the Democratic Party that I love,\u201d expressing his desire not to have his scandal burden the party or its members any further. Kim further announced his intention to seek legal redress against numerous news reports, which he contends were based on false information circulated over the past week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Esteemed Readers,<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

At KOREA PRO, our foremost objective is to provide content that is both engaging and enlightening for our audience. Your feedback serves as an indispensable resource for us, aiding in the continuous refinement of our offerings. In this regard, we kindly request your participation in a brief <\/span><\/i>5-minute survey<\/span><\/i><\/a>. This is an opportunity for you to express your thoughts and perspectives which we greatly value.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Why It Matters<\/b><\/p>\n

Kim Nam-kuk has been heavily criticized due to three key issues. The first issue pertains to Kim allegedly emptying his digital wallet before the enforcement of the Travel Rule. This rule mandates brokers or operators in the virtual asset market to report the identities of sellers and buyers involved in transactions exceeding $750 (1 million won) to financial authorities. The second point of contention is that Kim <\/span>co-sponsored<\/span><\/a> a bill in July 2021 proposing a delay in taxation on virtual assets, which occurred roughly six months before he withdrew his Wemix coins from his wallet. Finally, Kim has been <\/span>accused of feigning financial hardship<\/span><\/a>. Despite holding approximately 6 billion won in Wemix coins, he had solicited donations from party members, suggesting he was under financial duress. These suspicions were strong enough to prompt the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the state financial crime watchdog, to identify potential irregularities in Kim\u2019s cryptocurrency trading and forward the relevant data to the prosecution.<\/span><\/p>\n

The People Power Party (PPP) has expressed criticism of Kim\u2019s decision to leave the Democratic Party (DP). One PPP lawmaker, Kim Woong, <\/span>argued<\/span><\/a> that this withdrawal would conveniently allow Kim Nam-kuk to avoid disclosing his coin transaction history and initial investment sources to the DP\u2019s internal investigation committee. Kim is not the first DP lawmaker to leave the party; earlier this month, two other lawmakers also announced their departures in the wake of <\/span>bribery allegations<\/span><\/a>. This string of controversies appears to be affecting the DP\u2019s public support. Recent Gallup Korea <\/span>polls<\/span><\/a> indicate a drop in support for the DP, showing their approval rating at 32%, compared to the PPP\u2019s 35%. This represents a significant shift from <\/span>last month<\/span><\/a> when the DP held a 37% approval rating compared to the PPP\u2019s 32%.<\/span><\/p>\n

Domestic Politics<\/span><\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk has announced his departure from the party in response to growing allegations concerning his extensive cryptocurrency dealings. The announcement was made on his social media page. Kim faced significant scrutiny following the revelation that he owned around 800,000 Wemix coins \u2014 a local cryptocurrency \u2014 in 2021, valued at roughly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10407,"featured_media":2201005,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-2201004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-briefings","tag-domestic-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nLawmaker Kim Nam-kuk exits Democratic Party amid cryptocurrency controversy - KOREA PRO<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/05\/lawmaker-kim-nam-kuk-exits-democratic-party-amid-cryptocurrency-controversy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk exits Democratic Party amid cryptocurrency controversy - KOREA PRO\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk has announced his departure from the party in response to growing allegations concerning his extensive cryptocurrency dealings. 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