Seoul:Ruling Democratic Party (DP) leader Kim Min-seok has publicly apologized for his previous claims that members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus had joined the party in large numbers to influence its leadership race.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim's apology comes after an internal party investigation found no evidence supporting his allegations of collusion between Shincheonji followers and party lawmakers in the context of the August 17 leadership election. He initially raised these concerns in July, suggesting secret collaboration between the religious sect and lawmakers not aligned with President Lee Jae Myung, specifically targeting former leader Jung Chung-rae.
Kim expressed regret for any harm caused and stressed his commitment to uniting the party and addressing public welfare issues. The opposition People Power Party (PPP) has called for a joint investigation into the matter, referencing a past probe that found forced recruitment of Shincheonji members into the PPP.
During a party meeting, Rep. Lee Sung-yoon, a supporter of Jung, urged full disclosure of the task force’s findings, including data on Shincheonji members’ party registrations. While Kim has not released these findings, he announced that DP lawmakers could individually review the results from Friday to November 13. Reps. Choi Min-hee and Han Min-soo, allies of Jung, are among those who have sought access to the information.