- Missing Jang Mi-ran falsely processed as 'traffic accident death'... height of lax discipline
- This happens even with supplementary investigation rights... what will happen if they are abolished?
- Political forces treated police like an 'all-powerful deity' during prosecutorial reform
- Raising Fabricated Indictment Special Counsel Act amid this crisis, who is the law for?
- Dismantling prosecution while pushing special counsels, height of political hypocrisy
- Kim Min-seok's "recruiting moderates and conservatives"? People Power Party must stay vigilant
- Political realignment centered on Lee will occur... PPP will be pushed into the far-right corner
- Lee Jun-seok's mood shifted after local elections... taking political responsibility through resignation
- Resigning on Jang Dong-hyeok's 1st anniversary... may have aimed for a comparative advantage
- Not swayed by direct elections of chapter heads... senior Yeongnam lawmakers must be held accountable
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00)
■ Date: August 26, 2026 (Wednesday)
■ Host: Lawyer Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Kim Sung-tae, former lawmaker of the People Power Party
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Who and what made him angry today? It is Wednesday's "Angry Sung-tae," former People Power Party lawmaker Kim Sung-tae. Welcome.
[Kim Sung-tae] : Hello, I am Kim Sung-tae.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Lawmaker Kim, it feels like every time you come on, we ask who made you angry and you are always expressing anger. Today, I was thinking of changing the question to "Who made you happy today?" but there probably is no one, right?
[Kim Sung-tae] : That doesn't really work out. Personally, I also dream of a world without anger.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : I'd like to do "Happy Sung-tae," but right now there is nothing happy happening.
[Kim Sung-tae] : That is a world we all dream of, but while pursuing that, we must constantly change society so that it functions properly. Politics is actually at the center of that.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : That's right.
[Kim Sung-tae] : However, politics ends up amplifying public anxiety and sense of loss, which is precisely the problem. The issue I must be angry about today is, naturally, the handling of the disappearance of Jang Mi-ran in Jeju. The police's false closure of a missing person report and the fabrication of records revealed in this case have fundamentally shaken public trust in public security services. In a missing person case where initial investigation literally determines life or death, an individual police officer arbitrarily fabricated the case and drew conclusions. Consequently, the missing person was found dead after 59 days. This tragedy goes beyond public grief and outrage—people are asking, "How can such police exist in this world? Whom can we trust to live our lives?"
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Kim Sung-tae] : So when it comes to grassroots public safety, especially for the socially vulnerable and underprivileged classes, the widespread concerns have turned into reality.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Regarding that, lawmaker Kim, although a ruling party lawmaker earlier said this was an issue of individual misconduct, Representative Kim Young-bae of the Public Administration and Security Committee previously said it was not an individual issue but a systemic flaw. However, he also argued that it is not caused by the complete abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights, as the opposition claims, telling people not to make far-fetched connections.
[Kim Sung-tae] : Representative Kim Young-bae of the Democratic Party, who was on the broadcast earlier, is someone who acknowledges facts relatively objectively and constantly ponders the responsibility of the ruling camp and the governing party. That is the kind of attitude one should have. But look at Representative Park Eun-jung of the Rebuilding Korea Party, which claims to be in the opposition but is practically part of the broader ruling camp. Her stance is like, "Did this happen because there were no supplementary investigation rights?" But shouldn't the perception be: "If this kind of situation occurs even when supplementary investigation rights exist, what will happen going forward?"
[Kim Tae-hyun] : In other words, if problems arise within the police even when supplementary investigation rights exist, whom are we supposed to trust if the police handle everything entirely on their own?
[Kim Sung-tae] : Exactly. In this case, Senior Police Officer Bu of the Jeju police got in touch with the victim's family, assured them that she was alive and that she did not want to reveal her location, hung up, and then processed the case as a traffic accident fatality. In the end, he lied to the bereaved family and arbitrarily closed the case on his own just hours after receiving the report. This behavior represents the ultimate height of lax discipline in public safety. In that regard, our citizens have completely lost faith in the basic safety net that the state will protect them. It has only been about two months since the murder of the female high school student in Gwangju. Looking at that Jang Yoon-gi case, who were the parties that attempted to conceal and fabricate the substantive truth behind the tragic death of an innocent high school student due to a local police cartel? Amid all this, political forces kept acting as if the police were an all-powerful deity, claiming that everything would be solved if the police were granted the authority to initiate and conclude investigations through prosecutorial power stripping.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Kim Sung-tae] : A few years ago, they advocated reform of powerful institutions alongside prosecution reform from that perspective. Then they transferred the National Intelligence Service's anti-communist investigation authority to the police as well. It was handed over to the police, but in reality, the police have practically let anti-communist investigations fizzle out and are sitting on their hands. Political judgments that punch gaping holes in national security lead to situations like this.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. Let's touch upon a few more issues concerning the ruling camp. Regarding the Fabricated Indictment Special Counsel Act, some say it must be pursued again. Senior Spokesperson Park Sung-joon said it was a personal opinion, and Supreme Council Member Han Min-soo said yesterday that it had not been discussed within the leadership and needed to be handled cautiously. The two seem to have slightly different positions.
[Kim Sung-tae] : Going forward, their positions are bound to differ.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Why is that?
[Kim Sung-tae] : I wonder how the Democratic Party can even bring up talk of a special counsel for fabricated indictments or the dropping of indictments in a situation like this. When our criminal justice system in South Korea has deteriorated to the point where it cannot properly protect a single citizen or resolve a missing person case, discussing such things without self-reflection is truly preposterous. Where does the Fabricated Indictment Special Counsel Act ultimately lead, and for whom is it being made? Weren't they trying to grant that special prosecutor the authority to drop indictments as well? Who is that for?
[Kim Tae-hyun] : The President?
[Kim Sung-tae] : Anchor Kim, are you asking me when you already know the answer? In that regard, Han Min-soo, who was elected as a pro-Chung Supreme Council member, says this is not currently being discussed in the leadership. Meanwhile, Representative Park Sung-joon, who practically led 106 lawmakers in the indictment-dropping initiative, is serving as senior spokesperson. Anyone can see that he is extremely fond of President Lee Jae-myung and enjoys immense trust from him. That side argues that a Fabricated Indictment Special Counsel Act must be enacted, while Han Min-soo says it is too premature and has not been decided as a party platform. That shows the difference in temperature. That comes from taking public sentiment into account at least a little bit, considering incidents like the disappearance of Jang Mi-ran in Jeju and the recent case of high school student Jang Yoon-gi in Gwangju.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : If they actually push forward with this, what do you think will happen?
[Kim Sung-tae] : That would truly demonstrate the pinnacle of political hypocrisy once again. Why is it the pinnacle? Because prosecutorial reform was meant to completely strip the prosecution of its investigative power. Yet after doing that, whenever there is an important case or a decision to be made, they set up a special counsel and place both investigative and prosecutorial powers into their hands, don't they? So while relentlessly dismantling the prosecution service, not a single moment has passed without a special counsel since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Look at the conclusion of the 2nd Comprehensive Special Counsel. After that dismal six-month decision, how many citizens are convinced of the necessity of a special counsel or think it was necessary to spend tens of billions of won in taxpayers' money, considering the results and cases presented?
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. Let's discuss one more issue regarding the ruling camp. Leader Kim Min-seok said yesterday, "We will aggressively recruit fresh and capable figures across the entire spectrum ranging from reformists to moderates and conservatives." This is the so-called Kim Min-seok 'Big Tent' theory. Not long ago, the President also mentioned a structural majority, and constitutional reform came up while playing golf with senior opposition lawmakers. Leader Kim Min-seok is now talking about setting up a big tent extending to moderates and conservatives. It seems key figures in the ruling camp are trying to expand their reach toward the center and conservative sides. Should the People Power Party be nervous, or is there no need to worry?
[Kim Sung-tae] : They should definitely be nervous. I mentioned this on a previous broadcast as well. Depending on the outcome of the August 17 Democratic Party national convention, if a person named Jung Cheong-rae had won the party leadership in the so-called pro-Myung versus pro-Chung contest, I was one of those who believed a new political realignment centered on Lee Jae-myung would occur, leading to the creation of a new party.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : But that didn't happen.
[Kim Sung-tae] : Why? Looking at the dynamics of power institutions, even if an unfavorable party leader is elected, they have no choice but to go along together. However, the more time a sitting administration has left in its term, if things do not go its way, it will create a separate political force.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Right. But former leader Jung Cheong-rae didn't win, and Leader Kim Min-seok was elected.
[Kim Sung-tae] : That is why I am saying that ever since President Lee Jae-myung took office last year, he advocated a moderate-pragmatist government from the beginning. Then what is the core assessment of the August 17 national convention? It was a struggle over political orientation. Rather than following the traditional lineage passed down from Kim Dae-jung to Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and then Lee Jae-myung, if President Lee Jae-myung cannot be recognized as the orthodox successor anyway, he must create his own new political landscape in the future. That is the 'New Lee Jae-myung.'
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Kim Sung-tae] : If Jung Cheong-rae had a factional base advocating clear, hardline-centered Democratic Party reform, the political spectrum of New Lee Jae-myung is one that pursues moderation and reasonableness—encompassing moderates and the rational conservative camp. That means it includes even areas within our conservative camp. That is why they are attempting to recruit capable figures on a large scale. That attempt has already been seen in the Lee Jae-myung administration through moves such as recruiting Lee Hye-hoon as a candidate for Minister of the Budget Office, or Professor Rhee Byung-tae of KAIST. Furthermore, although it hasn't been covered heavily in media reports, quite a few People Power Party politicians have already joined. Therefore, Kim Min-seok's statement that he will aggressively recruit fresh and capable figures across the spectrum from reformists to moderates and conservatives means that recruiting moderates is the easy part. Where, then, is the part that appeals most to the public? It is the talk of recruiting capable figures from the conservative camp.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : An operation to undermine the People Power Party might be underway.
[Kim Sung-tae] : In other words, they keep pushing the People Power Party further to the right. The final destination is a right-leaning, far-right group.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Pushing the People Power Party all the way to Olympic Park.
[Kim Sung-tae] : That is how these people are thinking. And this argument can gain traction even within the democratic and progressive camps, because they can claim that doing this is necessary to become the majority party in the 2028 general election and to retain power in 2030.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. Let's talk about the People Power Party. Leader Jang Dong-hyeok is holding a press conference today marking his first anniversary in office. What strikes me as peculiar is that within the same conservative sphere, although I don't know how Leader Jang views it, the People Power Party numerically lost in the recent local elections, even though it kept the Seoul mayoral seat.
[Kim Sung-tae] : They lost.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : They lost, right?
[Kim Sung-tae] : Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : And the New Reform Party lost even more decisively.
[Kim Sung-tae] : Yes.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : But when I opened the morning newspaper today, there was an article reporting that Leader Lee Jun-seok would soon resign.
[Kim Sung-tae] : That ended up becoming the biggest news in politics today.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Meanwhile, Leader Jang Dong-hyeok is holding his first-anniversary press conference.
[Kim Sung-tae] : It shows that Leader Lee Jun-seok of the New Reform Party is contemplating deeply to take political responsibility, and many people observing him have noted that his demeanor shifted significantly after the June 3 local elections.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : They say his demeanor changed?
[Kim Sung-tae] : People like me see it this way: to put it simply, the final report card for the New Reform Party in the June 3 elections was securing just one single basic council member. They were aiming for 100 seats, but ended up with just one. This is a massive failure that is hard to even analyze or evaluate. On top of that, with incidents like the staged controversy involving Busan mayoral candidate Jeong I-han, no matter how much Leader Lee Jun-seok and the leadership explain, there is no sign of recovering the freshness of youth politics.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : So in any case, he is taking responsibility and stepping down.
[Kim Sung-tae] : That is why, after much deliberation, Lee Jun-seok is taking responsibility, knowing full well that even if he steps down—when the New Reform Party is practically synonymous with his name—public trust centered on young people will not be restored immediately. But he is doing it because it is the only thing he can do. However, the coincidental timing of his resignation happens to fall on the exact day of Leader Jang Dong-hyeok's first-anniversary press conference. Naturally, by this evening, the media will draw comparisons: one person resigning to take responsibility for the June 3 election, while another is presenting a party reform and renewal plan.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : What do you think the narrative will be?
[Kim Sung-tae] : I suspect that Leader Lee Jun-seok may have deliberately targeted today's timing.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : To gain a comparative advantage between the two?
[Kim Sung-tae] : Saying, "Compare the two." That way, he can also receive his own political evaluation.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : You are also subject to the direct election system for local party chapter heads. Are you okay with that?
[Kim Sung-tae] : Well, in politics, one shouldn't be overly swayed by such matters.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Do you think this direct election system will actually be implemented?
[Kim Sung-tae] : What I have consistently maintained on Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show is that the fundamental crisis facing the People Power Party today lies in the disappearance of leadership from senior politicians. Those senior figures are mostly based in the Yeongnam region. Whether the party heads toward the mountains, the river, or the sea, unless it directly affects their own interests and personal gains, they just sit on their hands. That is why the party has ended up in this state. These people must be held politically accountable.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
[Kim Sung-tae] : In particular, if former President Yoon Suk-yeol's misjudgment of the December 3 emergency martial law devastated the conservative camp, anyone who exploited that for personal survival and self-interest must take responsibility. And taking responsibility means declaring that they will not run in the next general election. I've said this several times, and it turned out exactly that way, didn't it?
[Kim Tae-hyun] : You are going to announce the list of those not seeking reelection next week, right?
[Kim Sung-tae] : Strangely enough, Leader Jang Dong-hyeok started using that exact wording recently. So when people like us look at that phrasing, what does it signify? In the end, that destination leads to direct elections for party chapter heads.
[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. We will wrap up here. Thank you.
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