{"id":2201254,"date":"2023-06-02T17:41:34","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T08:41:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2201254"},"modified":"2023-06-05T18:53:12","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T09:53:12","slug":"a-south-korean-crypto-scandal-is-testing-the-political-loyalties-of-young-voters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/06\/a-south-korean-crypto-scandal-is-testing-the-political-loyalties-of-young-voters\/","title":{"rendered":"A South Korean crypto scandal is testing the political loyalties of young voters"},"content":{"rendered":"
College student Shin Je-ha used to count himself a supporter of the Democratic Party (DP), the progressive main opposition that has long counted on the backing of young people like him.<\/span><\/p>\n But a recent scandal surrounding how one of the party\u2019s lawmakers allegedly abused his position to enrich himself through cryptocurrency assets has Shin questioning his allegiance to the DP\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAs a financially struggling college student, I was distressed that there may not be a politician who truly understands the lives of ordinary people,\u201d Shin told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n He is far from the only young person who has grown disenchanted with the party in recent months, as the snowballing scandal threatens to do irreparable damage to its base.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At the center of the controversy is now-<\/span>former<\/span><\/a> DP lawmaker Kim Nam-kuk. He has been propelled into the limelight due to his sizable cryptocurrency portfolio, which allegedly included nearly 800,000 <\/span>Wemix<\/span><\/a> coins \u2014 a local cryptocurrency \u2014 valued at approximately $4.5 million (6 billion won) in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n