Ruling and Opposition Parties on the Brink of Division... Controversies Over 'Shincheonji and Choi Min-hee' and 'Fabricated Discipline' Intensify

[Financial News] Both the ruling and opposition parties are facing severe internal conflicts. In the Democratic Party of Korea, controversy is mounting over remarks by Supreme Council member Choi Min-hee, who belongs to the pro-Jung Chung-rae faction, including 'a pack of hyenas' and 'President Lee Jae Myung also opposed impeaching former President Yoon Suk Yeol,' as well as allegations of a secret three-way alliance involving anti-Lee forces, divisive elements and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji). On the opposition side, allegations of 'fabricated disciplinary action' raised by People Power Party ethics committee member Hwang Gyeong-seong, along with calls for independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon to rejoin the party, appear to be spreading like wildfire. Leaders Kim Min-seok and Jang Dong-hyeok are both facing a test of their leadership as they take on the task of resolving factional strife within their parties.
According to ruling-party sources on the 15th, the factional conflict between the pro-Lee Jae Myung and pro-Jung Chung-rae camps is becoming increasingly severe. The dispute began after Supreme Council member Choi said at a closed-door meeting with party members last month that President Lee had opposed impeaching former President Yoon, prompting Kim to order an ethics investigation on the 12th.
On the 15th, Choi Min-hee launched a counterattack against Kim. In a social media post, Choi apologized, saying, 'My lapse in memory and confused remarks caused trouble for the President,' but pushed back, saying, 'My mistake and the Shincheonji controversy are separate matters.' Choi said the party should establish the facts, including by releasing the entire task force (TF) report. The point was that Kim should take responsibility for the allegations of a secret three-way alliance among anti-Lee forces, divisive elements and Shincheonji that he raised during the August 17 party convention.
Earlier, Supreme Council members Lee Seong-yun and Han Min-su, along with Choi, skipped the Supreme Council meeting scheduled for the 13th and protested, saying, 'Kim is the one who should be subject to an ethics investigation.' Han strongly criticized Kim, saying, 'He ordered an ethics investigation into a fellow Supreme Council member as if he had been waiting for the chance, without even asking about the circumstances beforehand,' and calling it 'a malicious attempt to shift the narrative to change public opinion.' Supreme Council members Park Seon-won and Jeon Yong-gi, among others, called for an apology, while the pro-Lee group Democratic Party National Innovation Council even demanded Choi's expulsion.
As internal strife intensifies, the atmosphere within the party is also becoming increasingly ominous. Some inside and outside the ruling camp say the party is in a state of psychological division. On the 14th, President Lee Jae Myung shared on X a video from the party's YouTube channel Minty07 featuring Cheon Jun-ho, senior deputy floor leader for floor operations, and wrote, 'As always, the hardest thing is the arrows flying at you from behind.' Cheon had been referring to intra-party conflict over the passage of a motion to approve the arrest of then-party leader Lee Jae Myung in September 2023. Some interpret Lee's post as an attempt to criticize the pro-Jung Chung-rae faction by applying Cheon's remarks to the current conflict and to rally the pro-Lee faction.
Kim is now approaching his 100th day in office, which falls on the 24th. With tensions deepening, most expect the turmoil to worsen. Former party leader Jung Chung-rae referred last month to Kim's 100-day mark, saying, 'I'm thinking about what flag to raise and what to write then.' Some speculate that Jung may soon openly raise an anti-Kim Min-seok banner.
The opposition's divisions are also considerable. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon clashed with Jang after calling for Han to rejoin the party and for a transition to an emergency committee-led system. The rift widened further when ethics committee member Hwang subsequently alleged 'fabricated expulsion.' Some pro-Han lawmakers have called on Jang to resign, while those who question the procedural legitimacy of Jang's disciplinary politics are actively promoting Han's return to the party.
In particular, on the 15th, senior People Power Party lawmakers criticized Jang's 'politics of subtraction' and called for a change in direction. Five-term lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun held a press conference that day and, citing the party's approval rating remaining in the 20% range, told Jang, 'A divided conservative camp cannot win. We need to pursue politics of addition,' and 'Please take the lead in embracing different voices and opening the door to a grand conservative unity.' Four-term lawmaker Kim Tae-ho said, 'You cannot keep the door closed to one another and ask the public to open their hearts,' and proposed a three-way meeting between Jang, Mayor Oh and Han. On Han's return to the party, Kim argued, 'It must be discussed responsibly through the party's official procedures.'
Calls for Jang to embrace Mayor Oh and Han have continued, but the party leadership faction remains skeptical. Citing the fact that the controversy over the party members' online bulletin board has yet to be resolved, they have drawn a line, saying Han's return is 'absolutely out of the question.' With strong opposition to Han still evident among party members and lawmakers, it also seems unlikely that the issue will gain traction in internal party discussions. One lawmaker aligned with the party leadership said, 'This is the time to devote all our efforts to the fight against the special counsel investigation into the cancellation of indictments,' adding, 'If Han wants to rejoin the party, he must win party members over himself.'
A decision is expected next week on injunction applications filed by lawmakers Seo Beom-su and Jin Jong-oh seeking to suspend the effects of disciplinary measures suspending their party membership rights. If the applications are granted, the justification for Jang's disciplinary politics is likely to be seriously undermined. A first-instance ruling is also scheduled for the 19th in lawmaker Bae Hyun-jin's lawsuit seeking to have her one-year suspension of party membership rights declared invalid.

[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter