Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party, expressed his apologies to party members regarding allegations of Shincheonji membership but stated that the party intends to resolve the issue internally. However, he dismissed calls from former leader Jung Cheong-rae and some pro-Cheong lawmakers for a full disclosure of the party's membership list, suggesting that it could lead to further complications.
During an appearance on the Democratic Party's YouTube channel, Minty07, on November 5, Kim addressed the recent controversy surrounding the Shincheonji allegations. He said, "I feel sorry for our members and, given the uncomfortable nature of the topic, I have significant discomfort myself. The Shincheonji issue has been troubling since it was first raised, and the investigation process has been uncomfortable as well."
He added, "The issue of political interference within the party is not easy to resolve. Regardless, I believe we need to identify the problems through internal review and consider how to improve them institutionally. Currently, we are in a process of overcoming this challenge with our own capabilities."
However, Kim firmly rejected the idea of publicly disclosing the membership list, stating, "Even if we were to fully disclose the membership list, there would likely be larger and more diverse issues raised internally. I am not overly concerned about overcoming the party's worries regarding the Shincheonji allegations."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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