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DP lawmaker Kim Moon-soo removes banners to avoid confusion with PPP presidential candidate with same name

Published: 12 May. 2025, 15:48

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Moon-soo removes a promotional banner bearing his name in a photo shared on his official Facebook account on May 11. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker Kim Moon-soo voluntarily removed banners in his constituency after residents confused him with People Power Party (PPP) presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, who shares the same name and even Chinese characters.

Kim, who represents Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gokseong and Gurye in South Jeolla, posted a photo and video of himself cutting down a banner with a box cutter on Facebook on Sunday, with a crying emoji and caption saying, "Kim Moon-soo banner removal.”

The blue banner reads, “The Democratic Party will revive the economy ruined by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration!” and “New Korea with the people! Kim Moon-soo.”

“I’m removing the banner due to strong complaints from DP members and residents of Suncheon who say it’s being mistaken for the PPP’s Kim Moon-soo,” he wrote.

Kim’s office said he took down around 20 banners.

“There was concern in local political circles that it could be interpreted as promoting the opposing candidate or even influencing the vote during the presidential campaign,” an official from Kim’s office said. “We’ve since taken them all down.”

Kim earlier had joked that he shares the same name as presidential candidate Kim as tensions rose over a potential merger between former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the candidate by writing “The president is Lee Jae-myung. Kim Moon-soo will also unify with Lee Jae-myung.”


Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]