KOR- Oh Se-hoon's Denial Is Useless... Facts Will Not Change
- Special Counsel '6-3-3' Principle Trial First... Too Early to Prepare for By-Election
- Shincheonji Intervention? Questionable If It Could Decide National Convention
- 2022 Democratic Party Third Primary: 'No Shincheonji Intervention' Found
- Part of a Fierce Primary, Need to Verify Facts
- Rhyu Si-min Calls "Lee the Head of a Faction"?... Distinction Itself Is Petty
- 'Foul Stench' Premise Inappropriate... Seems to Wish for Proof of 'Inevitable Failure Theory'
- At a Crossroads: Whether to Switch from 'Referee' to 'Player'
- Rhyu Si-min's Accumulated Anger Became an Illness... At a Concerning Level
- Lee Does Not View It as a Problem to Be Solved by Meeting Rhyu
- Sincerity in Arguments for Supplementary Investigative Powers... Need to Refine the Bill
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Politics Show (FM 103.5MHz 7:00 – 9:00)
■ Date: July 23, 2026 (Thursday)
■ Host: Attorney Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Representative Kim Young-jin (Democratic Party of Korea)
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Joining us is Representative Kim Young-jin of the Democratic Party, the "Young Man" who speaks his mind. Hello.
▶Kim Young-jin: Hello.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Representative, but your expression doesn't seem very good.
▶Kim Young-jin: I'm doing fine.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: The fighting has intensified so much ahead of the national convention. I thought it must be very exhausting for you.
▶Kim Young-jin: Not at all. "Life is beautiful, and history progresses"—we should believe in those words.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: We should.
▶Kim Young-jin: It progresses.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: First, regarding yesterday's first-instance verdict on Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon. Since it was a 10 million won fine, it is a sentence that results in losing his mayoral post. Of course, it's just the first instance. Could you give us your assessment of the court's ruling first?
▶Kim Young-jin: I feel the court actually made a ruling based on the facts. In short, it viewed Myung Tae-kyun's provision of free opinion polls as a violation of the Political Funds Act, found him guilty on five counts totaling 21 million won, and handed down a fine of 10 million won. Along with Myung Tae-kyun's evidence, the testimony of Vice Mayor Kang Chul-won and supporter Kim Han-jung who acted as supporting figures in between, as well as various circumstantial evidence, Mayor Oh Se-hoon's statements, and multiple circumstances acted in combination, resulting in a 10 million won fine verdict, in my view.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: First of all, as this is being conducted under a special counsel law, the 6-3-3 principle applies, meaning conclusions should be reached within three months for the appellate court and three months for the Supreme Court. Although it's not a mandatory provision, if that is strictly followed, a final ruling will come early next year.
▶Kim Young-jin: That's right.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: From Mayor Oh Se-hoon's perspective, it would be terrible, but if this is confirmed, he will lose his mayoral position. Then there will be a by-election. Looking at the Democratic Party yesterday, Representative Park Joo-min posted on Facebook, and Representative Park Jie-won spoke about justice prevailing, so there seems to be an atmosphere of preparing for a by-election. Do you think preparations should be made in advance?
▶Kim Young-jin: For now, the principle of the current special counsel and the special counsel tribunal is 6-3-3, isn't it? Six months for the first trial, three months for the second, and three months for the third. I believe judgment needs to be rendered in accordance with the law and trials by adhering well to that principle. Mayor Oh Se-hoon argued, "How can you believe the words of Myung Tae-kyun, an absolute liar?" But in reality, given Myung Tae-kyun's claims, various circumstances, and details of money transfers, there is no reason why supporter Kim Han-jung would send 21 million won or 10 million won for no reason to an absolute liar he knows nothing about.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Young-jin: Because there are such objective facts, I think the factual context will not change no matter how much Mayor Oh Se-hoon feigns ignorance now. And since this proceeds according to the trial, talking about a by-election now seems premature.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Still, you seem to be saying that preparations should be made behind the scenes.
▶Kim Young-jin: Well, everyone will handle that on their own.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. Turning to party matters. Representative, does Shincheonji exist within the Democratic Party? Because regarding Unification Church and Shincheonji, issues had only been raised on the People Power Party side. But suddenly within the Democratic Party, an allegation about Shincheonji was brought up—not by the opposition People Power Party, nor by the media, but from the mouth of Representative Kim Min-seok, a former Prime Minister and a leading candidate for party leader, saying "There is a problem with Shincheonji," alleging that Shincheonji has infiltrated the Democratic Party. So we were startled, wondering, "Is this real?" Has Shincheonji really come in?
▶Kim Young-jin: Objective facts or evidence will likely be presented by the person who made that claim. If they have evidence, they will present it. In fact, Shincheonji's history of political interference goes back quite a long way. Most recently, when candidate Yoon Suk Yeol was being nominated, they joined en masse, which angered former Representative Hong Joon-pyo.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Young-jin: Particularly in the Democratic Party, during the third primary between presidential candidates Lee Jae-myung and Lee Nak-yon in 2022, after 1st and 2nd round results came out around 60 to 40, the 3rd round was flipped 40 to 60. So there were various stories about how that functioned in that context, but because we gathered electors to conduct it, we didn't objectively verify it at the time. There were many stories about such intervention back then.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Young-jin: In short, because the third primary result came out in a form that did not reflect public sentiment and the electors' opinions at the time, suspicion arose that something strange was at work, but the outcome was wrapped up and concluded.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Young-jin: However, regarding the Shincheonji intervention currently being discussed, I believe those who made the claim and those who oppose it can handle it appropriately based on the facts.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Do you see this becoming a variable in the national convention? Because Shincheonji carries a certain feel and symbolism. So if politicians get linked with Shincheonji, it's actually a fatal blow. What significance does candidate Kim Min-seok bringing this up at the national convention have, and what kind of variable will it be?
▶Kim Young-jin: But I am somewhat doubtful whether Shincheonji's involvement would reach a level that determines victory or defeat like in the Yoon Suk Yeol and Hong Joon-pyo case. So I think it is necessary to look into the factual relations.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Representative, either way, former Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said to the effect that he would present evidence step by step. Do you think it is necessary for him to present his evidence and settle this to prevent the controversy from growing larger?
▶Kim Young-jin: Well, various things will be said. Since everyone is making different claims and these are statements made during the primary period, intervening in it itself disrupts the primary race, so things are being calibrated.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Candidate Jung Chung-rae also said he would take the strongest response. And candidates for supreme council member close to Jung Chung-rae, such as Lee Sung-yoon, Han Min-soo, and Choi Min-hee, are also pressing candidate Kim Min-seok to present evidence. Candidate Kim Min-seok drew a line on that, saying, "I only pointed out the issue of Shincheonji's political intervention, and I don't need to take responsibility for connecting it to a specific candidate." But from candidate Jung Chung-rae's perspective, he could feel very offended if this turns out not to be true. Then even after the national convention ends, relations between the two might not go smoothly. Because from candidate Jung Chung-rae's perspective, he might view this attack as crossing the line. Will the party be okay after the national convention?
▶Kim Young-jin: I view various statements coming out as part of a fierce primary process. Didn't everything that could come out—such as the past legitimacy debate and exhumation debate—already come out? Then this situation is similar to those situations. In fact, stories from 20 years ago or 10 years ago have all been traded back and forth through legitimacy debates and exhumation debates, so I think this has also become one of those materials. There will be sufficient discussion, and the decision will be made by party members with voting rights and the public.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So if candidate Kim Min-seok did not raise this falsely but has grounds to believe there is a problem in its own right, you think making an issue with this level of attack is appropriate, and not an attack crossing the line?
▶Kim Young-jin: Since I do not know the objective facts myself, I don't think it is appropriate for me to comment on this. Therefore, I believe it is necessary for those who made the claim and those who oppose it to debate and argue based on facts.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. Let's talk about writer Rhyu Si-min. In the past, he talked about theories of inevitable failure for the president, ABC theory, and reconstruction theory. Then the night before last, he said, "I think the leader of the New Lee Jae-myung faction is the President." That statement itself described the president as the head of a faction within the Democratic Party. He described it as "riots carried out by people called pro-Lee New Lee Jae-myung." And he said, "I think the leader of that New Lee Jae-myung faction is not Representative Lee Un-ju or others, but the President." He described the president as the leader of a faction in the Democratic Party. How do you view this?
▶Kim Young-jin: I have said consistently that President Lee Jae-myung is paving the way to becoming a president for everyone. There is 'New Lee Jae-myung', and there are also people like me who are 'Old Lee Jae-myung'. Whether Old Lee Jae-myung, New Lee Jae-myung, or Current Lee Jae-myung, everyone is actually uniting and caring about President Lee Jae-myung's success and future. So the destination for everything is indeed President Lee Jae-myung. Since it was expressed in relation to President Lee Jae-myung, I wonder if there is really any special difference whether it's New Lee Jae-myung, Old Lee Jae-myung, or Current Lee Jae-myung. I think explicitly dividing them to fight is petty.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But expressions like that also seem to not acknowledge the authority of the president, such as the word "head" (수장).
▶Kim Young-jin: That is a matter of the political commentary and dignity of the person who made the statement.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So he is making statements lacking dignity?
▶Kim Young-jin: I think he will judge that for himself.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Because there is also this. "No matter how good the fish sold at a fish market, it is bound to smell fishy," and "If you leave it without applying any criticism or placing any limits, it will end up giving off a foul stench." This statement implies that the current Lee Jae-myung administration smells fishy, and if left as is, it will rot and give off a foul stench. This connects with his theory of inevitable failure, right?
▶Kim Young-jin: It's a similar story. The Lee Jae-myung administration's inevitable failure theory, foul stench, ABC theory, and reconstruction theory all follow a similar stream of content. So I think we have reached a crossroads where he must decide whether to remain in the realm of criticism and judgment, or act as a player and cheer captain.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Come into the political arena altogether?
▶Kim Young-jin: If it's to this extent, I'd rather he make that choice. Amid ongoing prosecution reform and the elections for Democratic Party leader and supreme council members, he is at a crossroads between remaining in the realm of referee and critic or playing the role of player and cheer captain. So I think he needs to make his stance clear. That's my view. And I view the Democratic Party as a very healthy party with strong self-cleansing capabilities. So if one apple in an apple box is rotten, our party's role is to precisely remove that single apple through surgical operation so that all other apples are well preserved for the public to enjoy.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Yes.
▶Kim Young-jin: Basically, talking under the premise that everything rots in inevitable failure and foul stench itself is not a very appropriate expression. And in reality, while claiming he hopes former Minister Rhyu Si-min's prediction of inevitable failure turns out to be wrong because he wants President Lee Jae-myung to succeed, he continues to argue in a way that wishes for his own theory of inevitable failure to be proven true. This is very concerning, and I feel there is a need for restraint now. Or if he comes in and plays the role of player and cheer captain rather than remaining in the realm of referee and critic, the time for that may be coming, so I am very worried.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: It seems he wants his own claims and hypotheses to come true. Representative, this isn't just once or twice for writer Rhyu Si-min; it's continuous. Since he is appearing on a live broadcast on MBC Radio tonight, he will probably bring it up again. What do you think is the reason he does this continuously? There must be an intention behind it.
▶Kim Young-jin: I think former Minister Rhyu Si-min has gotten angry.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: About what?
▶Kim Young-jin: About various things.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Like 'Why didn't you invite me to the Blue House?' Something like that?
▶Kim Young-jin: I don't know about that, but he got angry, and over time that anger accumulated into an illness, and the illness seems to be worsening.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: What happens when an illness worsens?
▶Kim Young-jin: Proper diagnosis and prescription are needed. So I believe former Minister Rhyu can criticize where the Democratic Party goes wrong and offer commentary, and I think the Democratic Party should healthily take in those concerns and create solutions. I am also thinking about how we should analyze and address the core points of former Minister Rhyu's issues. However, because his language and words are coming out far too excessively and severely, there are concerns about whether he is in the realm of critic and referee, or if this is the final stage before transitioning into the realm of player and cheer captain. I would also like to say that many Democratic Party members and citizens are watching this with great concern.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: It seems he wants his claims and hypotheses to be proven right. Representative, looking at this morning's Chosun Ilbo, there was an analytical article. I don't know if you saw it, but the main content was this: Why is writer Rhyu Si-min doing this? It's because of the cancellation of the president's indictment. If candidate Kim Min-seok gets elected, he will cancel the indictment, and as seen in this local election, that would adversely affect general and presidential elections and ruin the Democratic Party, and because the president might push for the indictment cancellation. That's why he's doing this—the article carried such thoughts from within parts of the Democratic Party. How do you view that?
▶Kim Young-jin: I feel very grateful that former Minister Rhyu Si-min worries about the Democratic Party's political schedule and victory or defeat two and four years from now. But in that process, the Democratic Party's National Assembly members, healthy party members, and many people have the capability and capacity to navigate the political situation with reasonable decisions. However, criticizing or denouncing President Lee Jae-myung based on that premise and attacking those who stand with him using such excessive language will not be of much help in preventing such a situation, I think.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Do you think the president needs to invite writer Rhyu Si-min to the Blue House for a meal, appease him, and soothe him by saying 'please stop now'? Or is it better to just leave him alone?
▶Kim Young-jin: From what I see, it doesn't seem to be an area like that.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: That line has already been crossed?
▶Kim Young-jin: Neither former Minister Rhyu Si-min nor the Blue House seems to view this as a problem to be solved in that manner.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Then this issue isn't something that can be resolved personally by soothing him over a meal; you view it as a power struggle?
▶Kim Young-jin: As I see it, this isn't an issue of that nature, so hearing each other's opinions, evaluating them, and preparing alternatives is the appropriate approach for now. It is not of a nature that can be resolved through such means.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Then will you just leave the attacks on the president as they are? It's not an attack from the opposition party, but an attack from within the same camp.
▶Kim Young-jin: That is why I think the time has come for former Minister Rhyu himself to reflect on his role and put himself in others' shoes to think about which approach will help the victory of the democratic-progressive camp and the Democratic Party, as well as unity and victory. As I said at first, I believe he stands at a crossroads of choice and judgment regarding whether to remain in the realm of referee and critic or switch to the role of player and cheer captain.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Come in altogether instead? Understood. Either way, you are saying the Blue House is not in a position to use either a stick or a carrot right now.
▶Kim Young-jin: It doesn't seem to be a situation where choices like that can be made right now.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. Representative, then will supplementary investigative powers be completely abolished? Do you think the deliberation mentioned by the president has been fully carried out?
▶Kim Young-jin: A general meeting of lawmakers is scheduled for tomorrow as well. We said we would discuss it at length through tomorrow's general meeting, and we also discussed it two days ago. I think we are in the process of conducting discussions.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: But yesterday floor leader Han Byung-do declared complete abolition.
▶Kim Young-jin: That was the floor leader expressing his own thoughts.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Is that so?
▶Kim Young-jin: There are lawmakers' thoughts on those parts to be gathered through the general meeting, and there are matters regarding how to proceed with policy debates. Opinions will be sufficiently gathered, and I think a conclusion will be reached through the 1st subcommittee and plenary session of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: So you're saying room for discussion still remains?
▶Kim Young-jin: Isn't there sincerity in the arguments of those who spoke about supplementary investigative powers in the Criminal Procedure Act? Protecting human rights, preventing giant evil and major crimes from being buried or concealed, issues like the Jang Yoon-ki case, and yesterday there was the warrant rejection incident at the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office, continuously creating problems between prosecutors and police. Then how are we going to supplement these issues while separating the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and Public Prosecution Office this time and amending the Criminal Procedure Act? Very detailed measures are needed. I believe things will be gathered under such checks.
▷Kim Tae-hyun: Understood. We will end it here. That was Representative Kim Young-jin of the Democratic Party of Korea. Thank you.
▶Kim Young-jin: Thank you.
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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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