KOR- No trace of election fraud or external interference found
- Protests at Olympic Park lose objectivity... Jang Dong-hyeok must stop incitement
- Lack of factual basis will realistically bring protests to an end
- Rhyu Si-min targeting Lee again? This is going too far
- He must realize he shares responsibility for Lee's success and failure
- Stop attacking with extreme language and ponder unity
- Hinting at Lee's impeachment? Probably not his true intention… We must improve together
- Rebuilding Korea Party as a lifeboat? Fish die if they don't head for wider waters
- Doubtful whether parliamentary probe into Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae will yield results… Needs a closer look
- Concerns over backlash… Need to coordinate standoff between Supreme Court and government
- Lee should reduce social media use? Time will tell its effectiveness
■ Broadcast: SBS Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show (FM 103.5 MHz 7:00 – 9:00)
■ Date: October 29, 2026 (Thu)
■ Host: Lawyer Kim Tae-hyun
■ Guest: Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Young-jin (Chair of the Public Administration and Security Committee)
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : We are joined by lawmaker Kim Young-jin of the Democratic Party of Korea, the "Young Man" who speaks his mind. Hello.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Hello.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : You have worked hard. Your face looks swollen from exhaustion.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Yes.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : You were at Olympic Park for a long time yesterday, weren't you? As the chair of the Public Administration and Security Committee.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Since Democratic Party members of the Public Administration and Security Committee went to Olympic Park together yesterday, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 midnight, I was there for about three to four hours.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : The special counsel is investigating and verifying everything anyway, even if it is open to the public. Did lawmakers really need to watch it from beginning to end?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : In fact, Special Counsel Lee Tae-han is an independent counsel. He was not recommended by our ruling party either.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Exactly.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Because it is an independent special counsel, we could have just watched what they did. But because Representative Jang Dong-hyeok insisted on observing, the Democratic Party members of the Public Administration and Security Committee felt the need to clearly address the issue of citizens' suffrage caused by the National Election Commission's ballot shortage through parliamentary inquiries, and cleanly resolve the resulting occupation and tensions at Olympic Park. That is why Special Counsel Lee Tae-han conducted the recount as part of the investigation process.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Verification.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Right, verification. It wasn't about overturning the election outcome, but verifying. While we thought such claims were completely groundless, absurd allegations were made about election fraud, the insertion of ballots, or the introduction of different paper materials from outside, so we went to verify it. Literally none of that existed.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : How was it when you got there?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : The 500 election workers checked all 2.47 million ballots one by one.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : What did they inspect then?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : In short, they checked whether votes cast for Oh Se-hoon or Jung Won-oh were properly marked, and whether Songpa District Mayor candidates Cho Jae-hee or Seo Kang-seok were marked. They also verified which party was voted for on proportional representation ballots. Observers watched, and the special counsel's prosecutors, investigators, and clerks turned and checked every single sheet. So, in fact, all 2.47 million ballots were hand-counted. The counting itself took 12 and a half hours, but the overall process took about 16 hours.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : I see.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : And indeed, there was no ground for election fraud. In short, they must withdraw these nonsensical claims about external ballots being inserted. I hope those protesting at Olympic Park will also stop making absurd claims of election fraud and calls for a revote.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Did you speak with Representative Jang on site yesterday?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : We didn't have any private conversation. Regarding whether to open it to the public, the People Power Party called for a live broadcast, but the special counsel argued a live broadcast was inappropriate. The special counsel said that could cause various problems,
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Because it is an ongoing investigation.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Because it was an investigation, they decided to record it and brought in two terrestrial broadcast cameras. Cameras were installed at all 40 ballot-counting tables to preserve everything as evidence, which was essentially equivalent to a live broadcast. The independent special counsel did this. In fact, in Songpa District, Mayor Oh Se-hoon won by a landslide, and People Power Party candidate Seo Kang-seok won overwhelmingly as Songpa District Mayor. How could there have been any fraud by the Democratic Party there?
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Even if that is what they claim, does that mean they want a revote for Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Songpa District Mayor Seo Kang-seok? It is logically inconsistent. I believe Representative Jang Dong-hyeok also watched yesterday and saw for himself that preposterous claims—such as fraudulent voting or ballots brought in from outside, even from China—do not stand up objectively at all.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Last night, Representative Jang posted on social media, seemingly from the scene: "The National Election Commission is a suspect. No investigation leaves evidence in the hands of a suspect. That is why 2.47 million ballots must be protected." It seems he was taking issue with election commission staff being mobilized during the verification process.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : In my view, that is a complete distortion. Do we punish every soldier just because martial law was declared? You single out and punish the intelligence commander, the counterintelligence commander, and the specific individuals responsible who took part in martial law; do you punish the entire military? Would you then not entrust them with national defense duties? Similarly, at the National Election Commission, individuals implicated did not participate in this ballot counting. It was counted under the official command of the special counsel by mobilized election clerks who participated. Now that the election verification is complete, moving the ballots to a designated location managed by the election commission to put an end to controversy is standard. Attacking that unilaterally is nothing more than unwarranted, one-sided incitement.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Lawmaker Kim, although the investigation results are not out yet, yesterday's verification is finished. Those protesting at Olympic Park opposed moving the ballot boxes out, but they have now been moved, right?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Yes.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : What happens now? Shouldn't the protesters at Olympic Park wind down their rally to some extent?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : I believe the Olympic Park protest has now lost its basis in terms of objective facts and circumstances. Second, Special Counsel Lee Tae-han allowed members of what they called the policy verification team from Olympic Park into the venue yesterday. They entered as observers and raised numerous issues, and the special counsel took photos of everything they challenged and collected them as evidence. This included claims that the stamping ink was smudged or minor scuffs occurred from being stored in ballot boxes for three months. All of it was examined and collected by the special counsel, and it will be examined through the forensic investigation team as part of the special counsel's probe.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : So I believe everything they claimed will be examined by the special counsel. In reality, there was not a single decisive finding, and because there was no ground for their claims, it is right to wrap up the protests at Olympic Park.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Do you think Representative Jang will wrap up the Olympic Park issue here, or keep dragging it out?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : I think it is right for Representative Jang to wrap it up now as well.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : That is what he should do. What about from a realistic standpoint?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Realistically, I think there will be no momentum left. Special Counsel Lee Tae-han accepted and collected all the complaints raised by those who called themselves the scientific verification team at Olympic Park. While there might be minor procedural discrepancies among the 2.47 million votes, there was nothing significant in my view, so I believe it will conclude as groundless.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. While you were working all day until midnight yesterday at Olympic Park, author Rhyu Si-min appeared on Park Si-young TV and took aim at the president again. As you know from his remarks yesterday, he said, "The Yoon Suk Yeol beetle dismantled its own house, and the current administration and President Lee Jae-myung are doing the exact same thing." He also addressed the falling approval ratings, saying, "If it's 35% (positive) versus 60% (negative), it's difficult," adding, "It means the president does not have the public's confidence. In extreme cases, one might fail to complete the term, just like Park Geun-hye or Yoon Suk Yeol." As a listener, this sounded to me like: "President Lee Jae-myung, our core supporters are turning their backs on you right now, aren't they? If this continues, you won't finish your term and could be impeached." Am I overinterpreting this?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Well, if it has reached this point, he is basically going off the deep end.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Right?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Yes. But as for former Minister Rhyu Si-min, he also needs to think carefully. Former Minister Rhyu and many others elected candidate Lee Jae-myung to overcome martial law and normalize what was abnormal, and they ran together as teammates to get him elected. They are comrades. That means they share responsibility for President Lee Jae-myung's success and failure. Even if he argues that way now, if the Lee Jae-myung administration fails and power returns to the party that imposed martial law, would former Minister Rhyu be free from that responsibility?
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : That's true.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : I think former Minister Rhyu also needs to reflect more deeply. I have no desire to criticize or blame former Minister Rhyu any further. I believe the time for that has passed. Constantly throwing grenades inside our own barracks within the same camp, like talking about the "Yoon Suk Yeol beetle," and waging an internal civil war—now is not the time for that.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Right.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : So I believe our task as people who have led democratic governments is to move toward a stage of restraint, patience, deep reflection, and contemplation for the sake of unity and solidarity. In short, the people who helped elect Presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and Lee Jae-myung must reflect more deeply on those values and principles. Even if there are personal likes, dislikes, or hurt feelings, heading toward an era where we deny and repudiate all the historical values, political alliances, and actions we have built together is simply not right.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Both former Minister Rhyu and myself, lawmaker Kim Young-jin, need to take a step back and think together for unity and solidarity. Rather than using excessive rhetoric, I think we should watch and wait.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : What do you mean by watching and waiting?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Continuing to attack with such extreme language is ultimately self-destructive. Some might think attacking like that will overcome the current situation, but in the end, it only inflicts greater wounds. So we need to stop. In my view, we should be applying a bandage instead.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Don't you think he will continue? His words keep getting harsher. One can criticize the president, but comparing him to former President Yoon Suk Yeol and saying he "won't finish his term"—that means impeachment. Saying that is practically going as far as one can go.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Former Minister Rhyu has spent a long time living as a commentator, so his language can be harsh, but I don't think that is his true intention.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Really?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : I don't believe that we, having helped create the presidencies of Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, Moon Jae-in, and Lee Jae-myung, have such shallow foundations. Fundamentally, in my view, former Minister Rhyu believes the democratic-progressive camp needs to unite and succeed, and the key to that success right now is the success of President Lee Jae-myung. There is just a slight difference in prescription when it comes to correcting mistakes and moving forward together. I think the time has come for us to adjust and reflect together.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yesterday, regarding the rising approval ratings of the Rebuilding Korea Party, he called it a "rescue boat"—a rescue boat, not an icebreaker. Depending on how you hear it, it sounds like: "Traditional core supporters, switch to the Rebuilding Korea Party. The Democratic Party is shipwrecking. The Rebuilding Korea Party is your rescue boat."
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Well, in the past, former Minister Rhyu created the People's Participation Party as well.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : My apologies, not a rescue boat, but "The Rebuilding Korea Party is a lifeboat and Noah's Ark."
▶[Kim Young-jin] : That's why in the past he created the People's Participation Party and took various political actions and decisions, but they ultimately failed. In 2007, under President Roh Moo-hyun, extreme division led candidate Chung Dong-young to suffer the worst defeat in history against candidate Lee Myung-bak by 5 million votes. New parties were created but ultimately failed, and in 2012 we moved toward integration. Knowing that history, while the Rebuilding Korea Party plays its role, if fish do not grow in large, wide waters and the open ocean, the fish living inside will die. Whether they are fish of the Rebuilding Korea Party or fish of the Democratic Party, if the water dries up, they die.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Yes.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Struggling to survive in a small puddle will only lead to death, so an icebreaker or lifeboat heading down that path is meaningless.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. Lawmaker Kim, they say there will be a parliamentary investigation into Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae. Is this a buildup to impeachment, or is it a second-best alternative to appease hardline supporters demanding impeachment because impeachment is too burdensome?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : There are various paths like a parliamentary investigation and impeachment, but I don't think there is confidence yet on whether they will produce effective results.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Impeachment, you mean.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Both the parliamentary probe and impeachment. For a parliamentary probe, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae would have to attend, and there are doubts about whether that would actually work out properly. Furthermore, what has emerged so far is all public knowledge, so there are questions about whether a parliamentary probe is viable without additional findings. The party leader and floor leadership are deliberating on various aspects, so I think we need to look into those details a bit more.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : From what you say, it sounds like they might not do it after all.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Since they announced they would proceed, the Legislation and Judiciary Committee will likely pursue it.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Because the facts are already known, you questioned what more could come out of a parliamentary probe. Some people point that out as well: what more could come out of an investigation when only the ruling remains?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : The chair and members of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee who are advocating for it will investigate properly and proceed with it in their committee.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Of course it's the committee's prerogative, but as the chair of the Public Administration and Security Committee, a senior Democratic Party lawmaker, and someone close to the president, it feels like you think this might be overreaching and could invite a backlash if handled poorly.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Essentially, I did share that concern. However, looking at Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae's choices, judgment, attitude, and how he responds, it appears he continues to act in a way that invites a parliamentary probe and impeachment, which makes me deeply concerned as well.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : I see.
▶[Kim Young-jin] : In my view, Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae engaging in extreme confrontation over the grounds for re-recommending Supreme Court justices does not help settle the separation of powers in our society. Personally, I hope the chief justice and the administration will find a wiser path.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. One last question. Lawmaker Jeong Sungho, who is very close to you, appeared yesterday on SBS News Briefing and remarked to the effect of: "It would be better if the president reduced his social media usage, but that will decrease if ruling bloc lawmakers and ministers step forward more to lead the public relations battle." Today's morning papers also noted this: JoongAng Ilbo pointed out that the president enters the fray on every issue, and Chosun Ilbo noted that he constantly gets into arguments with users on X (formerly Twitter). How do you see this?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : Over time, they will judge the various effects. When water is full it overflows, and the moon wanes when it is full; so regarding policies, attitudes, and means, people will likely judge and speak prudently. But that strongly reflects a political leader's personal style. President Lee Jae-myung has a strong belief in communicating with the public through writing, so he adheres to that style. Still, I hope he will sufficiently listen to the diverse opinions of the public as well as those of politicians as he moves forward.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Would you also prefer the president to cut back a bit?
▶[Kim Young-jin] : I'm not someone who uses social media very much, so regarding whether it is truly effective, I'm personally not very keen on it.
▷[Kim Tae-hyun] : Understood. That is all for today. We have been speaking with Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Young-jin. 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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