The internal conflict within the Democratic Party over allegations of Shincheonji involvement is intensifying. The pro-Lee Jae-myung faction is calling for a thorough investigation, while the pro-Jung Cheong-rae faction is demanding evidence for the claims.
Hwang Myung-sun, a member of the Supreme Council aligned with the pro-Lee faction, stated during a Supreme Council meeting on July 27 that "the party leader must be resolute when the involvement of Shincheonji forces within the party is revealed, and we must firmly oppose attempts by specific groups to distort and undermine the separation of church and state."
Kang Deuk-gu, another Supreme Council member, explained, "The joint investigation team is looking into allegations of collective membership by a specific religious group. The essence of this issue is to uncover whether this group's organized infiltration distorted the will of party members and influenced the party's decision-making process." He added, "If the involvement of a specific religion is confirmed, that alone constitutes electoral fraud. How can raising suspicions be considered electoral fraud while the act itself is not?"
Conversely, Moon Jeong-bok, a member of the Supreme Council aligned with the pro-Jung faction, asserted, "If there is evidence that Shincheonji members have joined, the joint investigation team should announce it immediately, and the candidates raising these issues should also disclose their evidence right away." He emphasized that party members are being unfairly labeled as Shincheonji followers and are carrying the stigma of organized interference in party affairs.
After the Supreme Council meeting, Chief Spokesperson Kang Jun-hyeon told reporters, "There has been no discussion at the Supreme Council level regarding the party's actions related to the Shincheonji involvement controversy, and we are closely monitoring the joint investigation team's progress." He noted that, to his knowledge, there have been no verbal or written reports on the matter so far.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who is running for party leadership, has been consistently raising allegations of Shincheonji involvement. In response, former leader Jung Cheong-rae has stated that these allegations are unfounded and has warned of potential legal action.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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