[Anchor]

As the Democratic Party's national convention approaches its most fiercely contested regions, including Honam, Seoul, and Gyeonggi, the race is turning increasingly heated. This time, a public battle has erupted over a photo featuring President Lee Jae-myung, party leader candidate Jung Cheong-rae, and the head of an organization linked to suspicions regarding Shincheonji.

Reporter Park Jae-yeon has the details.

[Reporter]

On June 23, a pro-Jung Cheong-rae YouTube broadcast.

A photo was released showing Lee Hee-ja, head of the Korea Geunwoo Association—which has faced allegations of being a "Shincheonji-affiliated organization"—posing in 2024 with then-Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, who is now president.

Earlier, when some within the party claimed that a 2019 photo of Chairperson Lee and DP leader candidate Jung Cheong-rae served as grounds for suspicions linking Jung to Shincheonji, the camp countered by revealing this alternative photo.

[Lee Ji-eun / Former DP Spokesperson (June 23, YouTube channel 'Park Si-young TV'): If that single group photo with Chairperson Lee Hee-ja is supposed to be the basis that Jung Cheong-rae and Shincheonji are involved, then what about this photo as well...?]

However, it was belatedly revealed that candidate Jung was actually present in the uncropped original version of the photo.

Lee Ji-eun, a former DP spokesperson close to the pro-Jung faction, released a statement saying, "I simply introduced a social media post written by someone else, and I am sorry for unintentionally causing trouble for President Lee." Following this, internal friction within the Democratic Party intensified.

From the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction, Supreme Council candidate Kim Yong launched a fierce offensive, stating, "They displayed a manipulated photo on screen and smeared the president by tying him to Shincheonji," demanding a "bowed head in apology." Representative candidate Kim Min-seok also joined the fray.

[Kim Min-seok / DP Leadership Candidate: Isn't it in line with common sense and courtesy to clear up matters related to the president first?]

In response, pro-Jung Supreme Council candidate Han Min-soo fired back, arguing that the core issue is not whether the "photo was cropped," but rather that candidate Kim, who raised suspicions of Shincheonji involvement, has failed to present any evidence.

The leadership race remains a neck-and-neck contest between candidate Kim and candidate Jung, with the upcoming primary votes for regular party members scheduled for Honam on Saturday and Seoul and Gyeonggi on Sunday serving as critical turning points.

In the Supreme Council race, which selects five out of eight candidates, attention is focused on the battle for the fifth-place spot between pro-Lee candidate Kim Yong and pro-Jung candidate Lee Seong-yoon.

(Video Reported by Oh Young-chun and Kim Yong-woo | Video Edited by Oh Young-taek | Design by Kim Ye-ji)