Kim Mina, a former Changwon city councilor (proportional representation) from the People Power Party who repeatedly caused controversy with crude remarks related to the Itaewon crowd crush, announced on the 20th that she will run in the proportional-representation election for Changwon city council as a member of ‘Freedom and Innovation’.

Kim and other Freedom and Innovation members held a press conference at the Changwon City Hall Press Center that day to ask for support. Freedom and Innovation (led by Hwang Kyo-ahn) selected two candidates for the Changwon city council proportional-representation election, including Kim as No. 1 on the list.

Kim said, “Many party members and citizens are asking whether today’s People Power Party is really the face of conservatism the public expected,” and “I decided to join Freedom and Innovation to walk the path of politics that listens to the people’s voice before reading the room, that chooses conviction over silence.”

After being excluded (cut off) from People Power Party nominations, Kim resigned her Changwon city council seat on the 4th for ‘personal reasons’. At the time, she did not disclose specific reasons for stepping down, prompting speculation that she might leave People Power and run as an independent. Four years ago, in the local elections, she was elected after being given the No. 1 spot on the People Power Party proportional list.

Earlier, while serving as a Changwon city councilor, Kim faced calls to resign from various sectors over inappropriate remarks, including posting offensive comments on social media (SNS) related to the 10·29 Itaewon crowd crush.

At the end of last year, she posted offensive remarks on SNS about Kim Hyun-ji, chief of the First Executive Office at the presidential office, and was sent to prosecutors earlier this year on a defamation charge. After the 12·3 martial law, she took part in anti-impeachment rallies.

Kim applied for nomination to seek a second term on the Changwon city council, but on the 17th of last month the People Power Party Gyeongnam Provincial Party Nomination Management Committee decided to exclude her (cut off).