‘Envelope of Money Acquitted’ Song Young-gil Moves Address to Gyeonggi-do... ‘The President's Mouth’ Kim Nam-jun Emerges as a Candidate for Nomination

Song Young-gil, the leader of the Pine Tree Party, who was acquitted in the appeal trial regarding the distribution of envelopes of money at the Democratic Party's convention, has effectively begun the process of returning to politics by moving his address to Incheon Gyeonggi-do.

As Song plans to apply for reinstatement to the Democratic Party on the 20th, the political landscape in the Incheon Gyeonggi-do district, where Kim Nam-jun, the presidential spokesperson and a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, is likely to run in the June by-election, is shifting.

According to political circles on the 19th, Song changed his registered address from Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to an apartment in Byeongbang-dong, Gyeonggi-do.

On the 18th, Song expressed his intention to run in the district while stating, "I will enter the National Assembly to help the Democratic Party, the government, and President Lee," and plans to visit the Incheon City Party of the Democratic Party on the afternoon of the 20th to submit his reinstatement application.

Song's return has emerged as the biggest variable in the by-election for the National Assembly, which will be held alongside the June local elections.

Incheon Gyeonggi-do is Song's political hometown, where he served as a five-term member of the National Assembly, and it is a symbolic place where he resigned from his position after the defeat in the 2022 presidential election, handing over the district to President Lee Jae-myung (then a candidate for party leader).

It is reported that Song's side has been reviewing the restoration of his honor and the return to his political base in Gyeonggi-do as the top priority scenario following this acquittal.

The issue lies within the ruling party's internal coordination. Gyeonggi-do has been a place where the candidacy of Kim Nam-jun, the presidential spokesperson known as President Lee's confidant, has been strongly mentioned.

Spokesperson Kim is a key figure in the 'original pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung)' group along with former Democratic Research Institute Vice President Kim Yong. In fact, President Lee appeared to support Kim by visiting a church in Gyeonggi-do with him last Christmas.

There are concerns within the party that if a situation arises where a key aide from the Blue House and a former party leader compete for nomination, it could create significant pressure.

The fact that the relationship between Song and President Lee remains amicable is also a factor complicating the nomination calculations.

According to Song, President Lee reportedly called him directly on the day of the acquittal on the 13th, offering words of encouragement such as "You worked hard." During the last presidential election, Song dedicated himself to ensuring President Lee's victory as party leader and even gave up his own district to help President Lee enter the National Assembly, making it difficult for the Blue House to ignore Song's desire to return.

Regarding whether he will run in Gyeonggi-do, Song showed a cautious stance, stating, "If I become a party member, I will discuss it with the party leadership."

Some within the party are discussing the possibility of a chain movement utilizing the district of Representative Park Chan-dae, who recently declared his candidacy for Incheon Mayor, to disperse the candidacies of Song and Spokesperson Kim.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party leadership plans to decide on Song's reinstatement after receiving his application and going through the Supreme Committee's deliberation.