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Debates are intensifying among Democratic Party leadership candidates ahead of the national convention over allegations of a "mass entry of Shincheonji members" into the party. Candidate Kim Min-seok launched an offensive, stating that the suspicions have now entered the public sphere, while candidate Jeong Cheong-rae fired back, asserting that political maneuvers have never succeeded.

Reported by Ha Jeongyeon.

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Democratic Party leadership candidate Kim Min-seok continued his offensive yesterday (the 25th), maintaining that his raising of suspicions regarding "Shincheonji's interference in the national convention" was done out of consideration for the party's future.

[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leadership Candidate : I believe this has now risen to the level of a public domain issue. So that it can be handled within the public and party spheres....]

In response, the pro-Jeong faction also escalated its counterattacks.

Supreme Council candidate Choi Min-hee pressured Kim by noting that "news reports revealed the joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters had grasped circumstances surrounding Shincheonji's joining of the Democratic Party around the time the suspicions were raised," demanding to know whether Kim had prior knowledge of the investigation.

Democratic Party leadership candidate Song Young-gil joined in criticizing candidate Jeong Cheong-rae, claiming Jeong gave an evasive response to writer Yu Si-min's remarks criticizing President Lee Jae-myung.

[Song Young-gil / Democratic Party Leadership Candidate : If only candidate Jeong Cheong-rae says, 'No comment. It's silence,' what does that mean? Does it mean he 'implicitly agrees'?...]

Targeting candidate Kim, Jeong demanded a thorough investigation and disclosure regarding the Shincheonji suspicions, while stating, "There has never been a successful case of winning through negative campaigning and political conspiracy theories," before pulling out the card of a merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party.

[Jeong Cheong-rae / Democratic Party Leadership Candidate : We won in Ulsan where we formed an alliance during the June 3 local elections, but we lost in Pyeongtaek where we were divided. We must integrate with the Rebuilding Korea Party as soon as possible.]

On the other hand, candidate Kim stated that he would consider a merger only if 80 percent of party members approve and the party name remains the Democratic Party, adding that he intends to attract competent talent regardless of whether they are conservative, progressive, or reform-minded.

Lawmaker Shin Jang-shik, who was elected as the new leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party yesterday, stated that while integration with the Democratic Party remains open, he rejects a merger akin to a hostile takeover.

(Photo courtesy of Oh Young-chun | Video Editing: Nam Il)