Ex-Chief Prosecutor Raises W2.5 Billion in a Day

Former Prosecutor-General Yoon Suk-yeol raised a whopping W2.5 billion on the first day of fundraising for his presidential campaign on Monday to hit the maximum individual supporters can contribute (US$1=W1,156).

That is more than double the amount the leading candidates in the ruling camp, Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung and former Minjoo Party leader Lee Nak-yon, were able to drum up on the first day of their campaigns.

"We raised a total of W2.57 million by 8:15 p.m. Monday," Yoon's office said. "We're sincerely grateful to all individual contributors." "This must be an outpouring of people's desires to see a transition of power," it tweeted.

Fundraising from individual donors is capped at five percent of W51.31 billion, the maximum that can be spent on presidential campaigns.

Actress Kim Bu-sun, who earlier claimed she had an affair with Lee Jae-myung, said she has donated W100,000 to his rival. "I donated to a politician for the first time in my life. Wow, I really feel good," she tweeted.

Lee Jae-myung raised W908.54 million on July 10, the first day of his campaign, and is now up to a total of W2.4 billion, and Lee Nak-yon W814.25 million on July 1, the first day of his campaign, rising to W2.1 billion now.