Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok expressed his position regarding the allegations he had raised about "Shincheonji members joining the party," stating, "I will dedicate myself to party unity and people's livelihoods."

Speaking at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly today (November 4), Kim said, "As agreed upon at yesterday's (November 3) general meeting of lawmakers, the party will take steps toward self-cleansing efforts and institutional improvements so that concerns over religion's intervention in politics disappear within the party."

Kim delivered a message with heavy emphasis on internal party unity without offering a public apology for the Shincheonji controversy, which had been demanded by the pro-Jung Cheong-rae faction with whom he has been in conflict.

At yesterday's (November 3) closed-door lawmakers' meeting, Kim stated that an internal party investigation had uncovered no evidence regarding the Shincheonji allegations, and apologized, saying, "I would like to express my deep apologies to anyone who may have unintentionally suffered harm."

The Shincheonji allegations refer to the so-called "three-way secret alliance between anti-Lee Jae-myung forces, divisionists, and Shincheonji" that Kim raised as a candidate during the Democratic Party's national convention last August, which was interpreted as effectively targeting the pro-Jung faction.

Previously, former leader Jung Cheong-rae and pro-Jung lawmakers demanded that Kim make a public apology to party members and others over the investigation results into the Shincheonji allegations, arguing that "actions that put the party in grave danger constitute detrimental acts against the party."

While the mainstream pro-Lee Jae-myung faction expects the Shincheonji issue to wind down following Kim's apology, lawmakers in the pro-Jung faction have repeatedly questioned his accountability, asking, "Is this an issue that can be settled with just a few words?" As a result, outlooks suggest that internal party strife is unlikely to subside anytime soon.

Reported by Son Hyeong-an | Video by Jang Yu-jin | Graphics by Lee Su-min | Produced by SBS Digital News