▲ Rep. Choi Min-hee of the pro-Chung faction (left) and Rep. Park Sun-won of the pro-Myung faction
The "Shincheonji intervention" allegations recently raised by Democratic Party leadership candidate Kim Min-seok have escalated into a fierce proxy war between internal factions.
The battle of words has particularly intensified among candidates running in the Supreme Council election, pitting the pro-Chung (pro-Chung Cheong-rae) and pro-Myung (pro-Lee Jae-myung) factions against each other. This follows news reports that a joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters has detected circumstances indicating Shincheonji members registered as Democratic Party members to resolve local civil grievances.
Rep. Choi Min-hee, a Supreme Council candidate classified as part of the pro-Chung faction, posted on Facebook today (July 25) targeting candidate Kim, asking, "I am curious whether you happened to know in advance about the joint investigation headquarters' investigation into Shincheonji," and demanded a response.
Regarding the reports on the "suspected entry of Shincheonji members into the Democratic Party," Choi pointed out, "Initially, the reports stated that 'circumstances of registration between 2021 and 2024 were grasped,' so I noted that 'the party leaders at the time were Lee Nak-yon and Song Young-gil.' Afterward, however, the article was changed to state that 'circumstances of registration were grasped around the June 3 local elections.'"
Choi questioned, "A joint investigation headquarters appears in a party leadership race, and the media is picking up on a seemingly groundless theory about Shincheonji infiltrating the Democratic Party ahead of the June 3 elections," adding, "Who is orchestrating this?"
The day before, during a press conference at the National Assembly alongside fellow pro-Chung Supreme Council candidates Lee Seong-yoon and Han Min-su, Choi demanded, "Present evidence that an organized Shincheonji enrollment took place within the Democratic Party," urging, "If there is no basis, take responsibility for defaming the party and step down."
In response, pro-Myung Supreme Council candidate Park Sun-won fired back on Facebook today, writing, "Does Rep. Choi, who twists the 2021-2024 period when Shincheonji members joined the People Power Party to implicate 'Lee Nak-yon and Song Young-gil,' even resort to cognitive warfare techniques to intentionally foster false perceptions?"
Park claimed, "Those who cannot criticize Shincheonji or Rhyu Si-min, defend Cho Kuk, and subtly undermine President Lee Jae-myung—that is anti-Lee Jae-myung factional divisiveness."
Criticizing the three lawmakers who called for candidate Kim's resignation at their press conference, Park remarked, "It is truly deplorable to see lawmakers who are trying to tie down the President's ankles with anti-Lee divisiveness clumping together to vividly demonstrate factional politics."
Rep. Chae Hyun-il, also of the pro-Myung faction, wrote on Facebook, "Candidate Kim's raising of the issue was a crisis warning to party members aimed at blocking the organized political intervention of a pseudo-religious external force," adding, "Those who distorted the facts and caused confusion among party members must take clear responsibility."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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