Shincheonji interference claims rock Democratic Party leadership race

A contentious "Shincheonji interference theory" has surfaced within South Korea's Democratic Party ahead of its August 17 leadership election, casting a shadow over the race. Candidate Kim Min-seok has been at the forefront of these allegations, suggesting a "three-way alliance" of anti-Lee Jae-myung factions, "divisionists," and Shincheonji is at play.

Kim explicitly stated his intention to investigate "Shincheonji special prosecutor" issues, implying a deeper connection between the religious group and certain candidates. He also alluded to past warnings about potential "martial law" and suggested he was closely monitoring the Shincheonji situation, promising to reveal more details at an opportune time. While Kim provided no concrete evidence, his remarks were widely interpreted as targeting rival candidate Jung Chung-rae.

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The essence of this leadership election is to break the three-way alliance of anti-Lee, divisionists, and Shincheonji. I will point out one by one the fact that a Shincheonji special prosecutor has not been pursued.

Online discussions have amplified these suspicions, with videos claiming Jung attended Shincheonji events and accusing him of hindering a "Unification Church and Shincheonji special prosecutor" during his previous party leadership. Messages allegedly sent to party members suggest Shincheonji followers are backing Jung to sow division within the party. An associate of Kim's campaign described the issue as a continuation of concerns raised during the 2021 Democratic presidential primary about political interference from specific religious groups.

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I will take legal action against any claims linking me to Shincheonji. These are false manipulated information and fake news.

Candidate Song Young-gil also entered the fray, posting on Facebook about a "shocking conversation" between Shincheonji leader Lee Man-hee and Hong Joon-pyo during the People Power Party's 2021 presidential primary. Song suggested that Shincheonji's alleged interference in the conservative party's internal election could also be a factor in the Democratic Party's current leadership race.

Jung Chung-rae vehemently rejected the accusations, labeling them as "false manipulated information" and "fake news." He vowed to take legal action against anyone linking him to Shincheonji. Regarding claims that he deliberately blocked a special prosecutor investigation into Shincheonji, Jung explained that the party leadership decided to pursue a joint investigation by the prosecution and police due to a shortage of investigators for multiple special prosecutor requests. He dismissed a YouTube video showing him at a Shincheonji-related event as a local district event also attended by Gu Yoon-cheol, then Vice Minister of Economy and Finance.

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I will tell you on broadcast after cross-checking a few things about the shocking story I heard about Lee Man-hee and Hong Joon-pyo meeting directly after the 2021 People Power Party presidential primary.