'Why Leave Her Be?' vs. 'Unseemly to the Public': Ruling Bloc Divided

[Anchor]

Internal turmoil continues within the ruling bloc over this issue. Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok lent weight to launching an inspection, saying many voices are asking why Lim Eun-jung, who has publicly criticized the nominee for head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, Kim Ji-yong, is being left alone. As the conflict escalated, criticism even emerged from within that the infighting is "unseemly for the public to watch."

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin reports.

[Reporter]

As controversy brews over plans to inspect Lim Eun-jung, head of the Gwangju Regional Office of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, who has openly criticized Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the agency, Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok supported the inspection, noting that demands for active measures continue to pour in.

[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leader (YouTube 'Democratic Party TV'): "To be honest, I receive so many messages—almost to the point of overflowing—asking why on earth we are staying still or why we are just leaving her be."]

Regarding the criticism directed at nominee Kim from so-called hardliners on prosecutorial reform within the broader ruling bloc, Kim Min-seok said that efforts had been made, including public appeals for restraint, and added:

[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leader (YouTube 'Democratic Party TV'): "Many people feel that our efforts are reaching a threshold."]

Leader Kim interpreted President Lee Jae-myung's consecutive social media posts regarding the controversy as fundamentally being driven by "a deep sense of frustration," yet voices of concern over nominee Kim continued within the party.

[Park Joo-min / Democratic Party Lawmaker (MBC Radio 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus'): "At that time, he was someone who very strongly voiced opposition to the adjustment of investigative powers between the prosecution and the police."]

As internal friction showed little sign of abating, former National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik posted on social media, saying, "This is truly unseemly for the public to watch," adding, "As members of the ruling party, we must first respect the president's personnel decisions," while noting, "However, Cheong Wa Dae also needs to look back on its personnel vetting process."

Meanwhile, the Rebuilding Korea Party has also taken the position that reexamining nominee Kim Ji-yong's qualifications should take precedence over inspecting Chief Lim Eun-jung. Consequently, expectations are growing that scrutiny during Kim's confirmation hearing tomorrow (October 14) may be even fiercer from some lawmakers within the broader ruling coalition than from the opposition.

(Video Editing: Wi Won-yang)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.