"Must Purify the Stench," You Si-min Targets... Kim Min-seok Responds "You Crossed the Line"

Writer You Si-min and former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, a candidate for the Democratic Party leadership, exchanged sharp remarks over President Lee Jae-myung's state governance and intra-party factional lines.

Appearing on a YouTube channel yesterday, writer You claimed that President Lee Jae-myung himself is likely the head of the "New Lee Jae-myung" faction recently emerging within the Democratic Party.

You criticized, "I believe President Lee holds a stance against the complete separation of investigation and indictment by the prosecution," adding, "The president is at the center of the confusion surrounding the delayed prosecution reform and the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act."

He went on to emphasize the need to criticize the so-called "New Lee Jae-myung" faction, stating, "If left unrestricted, any fish market will end up smelling rotten. Absolute power corrupts 100 percent. We must purify it quickly before the stench arises."

Former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok immediately pushed back against You's remarks.

Through his social media, Kim directly targeted You's comments, stating, "Words like 'certain defeat' or 'stench' do not exist in the language of comrades or the perspective of affection."

He also noted, "Politics that distorts the president's sincerity and crosses the line of commentary has lost even restraint and dignity."

At the same time, he emphasized, "The Democratic Party will overcome both anti-Lee Jae-myung factions and factionalism, and will protect the president and national tasks to the end."

As a pan-ruling camp commentator and a leadership contender clash over the direction of prosecution reform, including the abolition of supplementary investigation rights, ideological conflicts within the Democratic Party ahead of the national convention are showing signs of further intensification.

Reported by Lee Hyeon-yeong | Video by Ahn Jun-hyeok | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.