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๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea /Elections & Politics

Factional Proxy War Intensifies Over 'Shincheonji Involvement Theory' in Democratic Party Convention

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • A dispute over alleged Shincheonji involvement in the Democratic Party's leadership race has intensified factional conflict.
  • Supreme council candidate Choi Min-hee questioned candidate Kim Min-seok about potential prior knowledge of an investigation into Shincheonji members joining the party.
  • Another candidate, Park Seon-won, criticized Choi's statements, accusing her of distorting facts and engaging in anti-Lee Jae-myung sentiment.

Factional tensions within the Democratic Party have escalated over allegations of Shincheonji's involvement in the ongoing leadership contest. The controversy centers on claims made by party leader candidate Kim Min-seok regarding Shincheonji's alleged infiltration.

I wonder if you knew in advance about the joint investigation into Shincheonji.

โ€” Choi Min-heeQuestioning Kim Min-seok about his potential knowledge of the investigation into Shincheonji members joining the Democratic Party.

Choi Min-hee, a candidate for the supreme council and considered aligned with the pro-Lee faction, directly questioned Kim Min-seok. She posted on Facebook, asking if Kim had prior knowledge of a joint investigation by prosecutors and police into Shincheonji members joining the Democratic Party. This inquiry followed media reports about the investigation, which reportedly uncovered evidence of Shincheonji followers joining the party between 2021 and 2024. Choi pointed out that the reported timeframe for membership coincided with the leadership of previous party leaders Lee Nak-yon and Song Young-gil, suggesting a potential political angle.

Choi further criticized the media for reporting on the "Shincheonji infiltration theory" without clear evidence, questioning the motives behind such narratives. She asked who was orchestrating this effort to "destroy the Democratic Party through a secret alliance with Shincheonji," framing it as a "three-way secret alliance" involving anti-Lee factions, divisionists, and Shincheonji.

The joint investigation headquarters is investigating, and reports have emerged that related individuals are being summoned.

โ€” Park Seon-wonResponding to Choi Min-hee's accusations and highlighting the ongoing investigation.

Responding to Choi's accusations, Park Seon-won, another supreme council candidate and reportedly close to Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil, defended Kim. Park accused Choi of deliberately spreading false information and using "cognitive techniques" to create a distorted perception. He also criticized Choi's past actions, suggesting a "Choi Min-hee fatigue" within the party due to her frequent calls for apologies and resignations. Park characterized Choi's stance as "anti-Lee divisionism," citing her criticism of figures like Yoo Si-min and her defense of Cho Kuk, while allegedly attacking President Lee Jae-myung.

Those who cannot criticize Shincheonji, cannot criticize Yoo Si-min, defend Cho Kuk, and actually criticize our President Lee Jae-myung, that is anti-Lee divisionism.

โ€” Park Seon-wonCharacterizing Choi Min-hee's political stance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.