[Anchor]

Even after lawmaker Kim Seung-won dropped out of his nomination and media reports emerged that a petition containing sexual harassment allegations had been submitted to the Blue House, the Democratic Party is avoiding a direct response. Seizing on Kim's withdrawal, the People Power Party is broadening its offensive to target both the Democratic Party and the Blue House.

Reporter Park Jae-yeon reports.

[Reporter]

For the second consecutive day following Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won's withdrawal from his Justice Minister nomination, party leader Kim Min-seok has not issued a separate statement.

Canceling a press conference scheduled for yesterday (September 20) to mark his first month in office, he instead attended the first meeting of the party's constitutional reform task force.

[Kim Min-seok / Democratic Party Leader: This is a time when the nation, the people, democratic forces, and the party must unite even more firmly around President Lee Jae-myung.]

Although a former aide to lawmaker Kim was reported to have submitted a petition containing additional allegations to the Blue House, the Democratic Party does not appear to be looking into the facts.

[Park Sung-joon / Senior Spokesperson, Democratic Party: We have no knowledge of this.]

A Democratic Party lawmaker stated, "Now that Kim has stepped down from the nomination, it is not appropriate for the party to step in and refute the allegations."

With Kim dropping out despite the party's all-out defense, an internal sentiment to minimize further fallout appears to have grown.

A "round two" battle has begun between the Democratic Party and independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon.

[Cho Gye-won / Democratic Party Spokesperson: All the materials that should be with the prosecution are now in the hands of Han Dong-hoon, isn't that right? That fact alone makes the criminal suspicion clear. Rather, police should immediately launch an investigation before evidence is destroyed.]

[Han Dong-hoon / Independent Lawmaker: Is it true that this petition was delivered to Party Leader Kim Min-seok before reaching the Blue House? Did you sweep it under the rug while knowing about it? And are you now trying to track down the whistleblower?]

The People Power Party went on the offensive regarding the petition and allegations of improper solicitation involving the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, saying, "The Blue House failed to vet him, and the Democratic Party turned a blind eye."

[Choi Bo-yoon / Senior Spokesperson, People Power Party: The longer the silence continues, the more the public will ask, 'What are they hiding?', and the Blue House must bear responsibility for that suspicion.]

Party Leader Jang Dong-hyeok claimed that Kim Hyun-ji, the first personal secretary at the Blue House, was behind the "personnel catastrophe," stating, "Secretary Kim must be summoned to testify at the parliamentary audit to be held accountable."

(Video by Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Yoo Mi-ra | Graphics by Park Taeyoung)