Democratic Party Rivals Demand Evidence from Kim Min-seok on Shincheonji Claims

Rival factions within South Korea's Democratic Party are intensifying their attacks on Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the party's leadership, demanding he present concrete evidence for his allegations of Shincheonji's involvement in party membership recruitment. Pro-Chung faction candidates Lee Sung-yoon, Han Min-soo, and Choi Min-hee held a press conference, directly challenging Kim to "present the evidence" and calling for his resignation if he fails to do so.

"You threw the Shincheonji fake news bomb yourself, so why are you playing hide-and-seek?" the candidates demanded. They further stated, "If you have no evidence, you must take responsibility for damaging the party's honor by being blinded by the desire for party leadership and giving the People Power Party ammunition for baseless attacks, and resign."

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You threw the Shincheonji fake news bomb yourself, so why are you playing hide-and-seek? Present the evidence directly.

The rivals specifically challenged Kim to provide proof of "organized Shincheonji membership recruitment within our Democratic Party, not the People Power Party," and to identify anyone who colluded with Shincheonji in this regard. They criticized Kim's repeated references to Shincheonji, arguing that his statements have emboldened the rival People Power Party to call for an investigation into the Democratic Party.

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If you have no evidence, you must take responsibility for damaging the party's honor by being blinded by the desire for party leadership and giving the People Power Party ammunition for baseless attacks, and resign.

The controversy spilled into a party leadership meeting, where heated debates ensued between supporters of Kim and his rivals. Supreme Council member Moon Jung-bok expressed concern that the party's 70-year history was being tarnished by what she called a "political game by a pseudo-religious group," urging for the disclosure of relevant information before the upcoming convention.

Supreme Council member Park Gyu-hwan called for the party to officially address the issue, urging the election committee to investigate the claims and take disciplinary action, including disqualification, if evidence is not presented. In contrast, Supreme Council member Kang Deuk-gu, a Kim supporter, stated that the time for allegations is over and that it is now the party's responsibility to verify facts and make a judgment. He urged the party to transparently explain the findings to party members.

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The 70-year history of our proud Democratic Party is about to be disgraced as a political playground for a pseudo-religious group. We urge you to disclose the relevant information so we can resolve this terrible situation before the tour primaries begin.

Party spokesperson Kang Jun-hyuk mentioned that a party member survey was conducted in December, but no significant results related to Shincheonji emerged. He added that such surveys are typically done to identify instances of organized membership recruitment, often preceding local elections.

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Now is the time for the party to officially step in. The election committee must immediately launch an investigation into the candidate in question and take strict measures, such as disqualification, if they cannot provide evidence.