Democratic Party First-Term Lawmakers’ Group Discusses Response to Choi Min-hee’s ‘Remarks on Lee Jae Myung Opposing Impeachment’ ... “Issue Is Serious; Decision Tomorrow”

[Financial News] Amid escalating internal party tensions over controversy surrounding remarks by Choi Min-hee, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, that President Lee Jae Myung had opposed the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, the Democratic Party’s group of first-term lawmakers, The Mincho, has begun emergency discussions.
The Mincho steering committee held an emergency video conference at around 8 p.m. on the 15th to discuss a joint response to the series of controversies surrounding Supreme Council member Choi.
Rep. Tae Jun Ahn, The Mincho’s secretary, told reporters in a phone call after the meeting, “We reached a consensus that the matter is serious, and agreed to reconvene the steering committee on the 16th, continue discussions and then announce our position.” He added, “We will gather the views of several lawmakers and decide on the level and approach of our response.”
It emerged belatedly that Supreme Council member Choi had said at a closed-door meeting with party members from her constituency last October that “President Lee Jae Myung opposed the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol when he was party leader,” sparking controversy. The Blue House expressed strong regret, calling the claim “groundless,” and Choi apologized, saying, “There was a mix-up during the question-and-answer session.” She also drew criticism after referring to photo and video journalists covering Democratic Party events as “a pack of hyenas” in a group chat for supporters.
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok immediately ordered the party’s Ethics Inspection Unit to investigate. On the 15th, after receiving the inspection findings, he ordered that they be referred to the party’s Central Ethics Tribunal, effectively launching disciplinary proceedings. Under the Democratic Party’s constitution and rules, disciplinary measures fall into four categories: warning, suspension from party posts, suspension of party membership and expulsion.
One member of The Mincho took a hardline stance, saying, “After making false statements about the president, she made a serious gaffe about the entire media, damaging the party’s image,” and that heavy sanctions were unavoidable. The National Innovation Conference for a More Democratic Party, an extra-parliamentary organization aligned with Lee Jae Myung, also held a press conference outside Choi’s constituency office the previous day and called for accountability, saying, “Responsibility must be demanded through the decisive step of expulsion.” Choi has previously received a “warning” over a controversy involving congratulatory money at her daughter’s wedding in February. Some first-term lawmakers, however, urged caution, saying, “We need to take the full measure of opinion within the party and find a clever way to restore discipline.”
The discussion over Choi’s disciplinary action has also brought into the open a power struggle between the pro-Kim Min-seok and pro-Jung Chung-rae factions.
Supreme Council member Han Min-su, who is aligned with the pro-Jung faction, hit back in a Facebook post on the 15th, saying, “The Ethics Tribunal has also received a disciplinary petition over Kim’s false claim of a ‘Ban-Bun-Shin’ secret three-way alliance of anti-Lee forces, divisionists and Shincheonji,” and adding, “Both cases must be handled fairly.” Choi herself also called on Kim’s camp to establish the facts in a social media post, saying, “I apologize for causing difficulties for the president, but the controversy over a secret Shincheonji alliance and my own wrongdoing are separate matters.”
[email protected] Park Ji-hyun Reporter