(LEAD) Court dismisses North Jeolla governor′s injunction request over party expulsion

▲ North Jeolla Gov. Kim Kwan-young speaks to reporters as he arrives at the Seoul Southern District Court in the capital on April 7, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) court-North Jeolla governor

(LEAD) Court dismisses North Jeolla governor's injunction request over party expulsion

(ATTN: UPDATES with governor's Facebook post in paras 6-7)

SEOUL, April 8 (Yonhap) -- A court on Wednesday dismissed an injunction request by North Jeolla Gov. Kim Kwan-young to suspend his expulsion by the ruling Democratic Party.

Kim was expelled from the party last week amid allegations that he handed out cash to 20 people, including local council members and public servants, at a restaurant in Jeonju, about 190 kilometers south of Seoul, last November.

The governor, who is seeking reelection in the upcoming June local elections, filed for an injunction against the expulsion, as well as an injunction to suspend the primary race for the North Jeolla governorship.

But the Seoul Southern District Court dismissed both requests Wednesday, saying that based on the submitted documents, it is difficult to conclude the party's measure was procedurally unlawful or excessively harsh.

With the dismissal of the injunction against party expulsion, it is also difficult to grant an injunction to suspend the primary race, the court said.

Kim expressed regret in a Facebook post, saying that while he humbly accepts the court's decision, he is "heavy-hearted" that his participation in the primary has been restricted without a chance to fully explain himself.

"I once again deeply regret the fact that there was a moral inappropriateness in my behavior," he wrote. "Though the party's door has been shut for now, my aspirations and responsibility toward the future and people of North Jeolla cannot be stopped."

Kim has said he handed out a total of 680,000 won (US$450) to the 20 people, ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 won per person, to use as chauffeur fees after drinking together, and that he retrieved the money the next day because it was inappropriate.

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