[Anchor]
With the final lineup for the Democratic Party's national convention now confirmed, the factional showdown, often likened to the "Myeong-Cheong" battle, has become much more distinct. Meanwhile, pro-Myeong and pro-Cheong factions have openly clashed over suspicions that the religious group Shincheonji collectively joined the Democratic Party.
Reporter Park Jae-yeon has the details.
[Reporter]
The Democratic Party finalized the main race lineup for its national convention through preliminary primaries yesterday (July 23).
The three-way race for party leader features pro-Myeong candidates Kim Min-seok and Song Young-gil essentially forming a joint front, confronting candidate Jung Chung-rae, who is seeking consecutive terms and standing against the pro-Myeong candidates.
In the Supreme Council race, five pro-Myeong candidates and three pro-Cheong candidates will compete for the final five seats.
As a result of the preliminary primaries, 5 out of 11 pan-pro-Myeong candidates and all 3 pro-Cheong candidates advanced to the main race.
Pro-Myeong lawmakers Park Sung-joon and Lee Kun-tae, who led the "Meeting to Dismiss the Indictment in the President's Case within the Democratic Party," were eliminated.
Inside and outside the party, many analyze that the support base for candidate Jung Chung-rae rallied during the preliminary primaries.
However, during today's Democratic Party leadership meeting, a pro-Myeong Supreme Council member seemingly targeted the pro-Cheong faction by raising "suspicions of religious group Shincheonji's intervention in the national convention." This prompted pro-Cheong Supreme Council members to snap back, demanding that they "reveal the evidence," leading to an open clash between the two sides.
[Kang Duk-ku / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member (Pro-Myeong): If external forces attempted to systematically distort the will of party members, it is something that can never be tolerated.]
[Moon Jeong-bok / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member (Pro-Cheong): A comedy of the century is unfolding. Is there really any evidence at all?]
The joint prosecution and police investigation headquarters stated today that it has captured circumstances indicating Shincheonji followers in some parts of the metropolitan area joined the Democratic Party, and is investigating the possibility that they may have tried to influence internal party primaries and other events during the June 3 local elections.
Amidst this, the Democratic Party confirmed the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority as a party line through a general meeting of lawmakers today.
Some pro-Myeong lawmakers, who had argued for its limited retention, raised no objections to its prompt handling ahead of the national convention.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
(Reported by Oh Young-chun, Lee Seung-hwan | Video by Wi Won-yang | Graphics by Kim Han-gil)
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