[Anchor]

The Democratic Party leadership has clashed over whether to release the findings of an internal investigation into allegations of mass party enlistment by members of the Shincheonji religious group. Aiming at Party Leader Kim Min-seok, who first raised the suspicions, the pro-Jung Cheong-rae faction strongly pressured him to disclose the investigation results and take responsibility if the allegations lacked foundation.

Reporter Park Jae-yeon reports.

[Reporter]

At the Democratic Party Supreme Council meeting held today (October 23).

Supreme Council member Lee Seong-yoon, aligned with the pro-Jung Cheong-rae faction, fired the opening salvo.

[Lee Seong-yoon / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: It is now time to disclose to the public and party members, exactly as they are, the findings of the investigation into the alleged Shincheonji involvement that divided our party and hurt party members.]

During the Democratic Party national convention in August, Representative Kim Min-seok, then a candidate, raised allegations of a so-called "three-way secret alliance among anti-Lee Jae-myung forces, factional separatists, and Shincheonji."

This was interpreted as effectively targeting the pro-Jung faction, but the findings subsequently investigated by an internal party task force have only been reported to Leader Kim and remain undisclosed.

The pro-Jung faction essentially stepped forward to demand, "Release the results, and if these were baseless allegations, take responsibility."

At that point, Supreme Council member Park Sun-won, a pro-Lee figure who led the task force, abruptly interjected:

[Park Sun-won / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Fine. Release it.]

Supreme Council member Han Min-soo, from the pro-Jung faction, expressed displeasure and retorted:

[Han Min-soo / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Why don't you pay attention to the speech being made?]

[Park Sun-won / Democratic Party Supreme Council Member: Leader, I will disclose it. As the head of the task force, I will take responsibility and do it on my own responsibility.]

This time, an awkward and perplexed atmosphere seemed to follow around Leader Kim.

Following a closed-door meeting, the Democratic Party leadership decided for now not to release the results immediately.

[Park Sung-joon / Democratic Party Senior Spokesperson: It means we have reentered a stage where we must deliberate and discuss it further once again.]

However, former leader Jung Cheong-rae and pro-Jung Supreme Council member Choi Min-hee successively posted messages on social media pressing Leader Kim's camp, writing, "Disclose everything as it is," and "If there is no basis, disclose the truth that there is none."

With internal friction already flaring over the appointment of Kim Ji-yong as head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency and growing differences within the party over pushing for the impeachment of Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, the issue of releasing the Shincheonji investigation findings has also emerged as a fresh flashpoint of internal conflict.

(Reported by Oh Young-choon and Kim Yong-woo | Video by Jeon Min-gyu)