On the 12th, Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with former leader Jeong Cheong-rae regarding the conflict within the party surrounding the suspicion of Shincheonji group membership, and said that he was working to resolve the issue through dialogue.
However, former Representative Jeong publicly expressed his opposition to Representative Kim's proposal for dialogue, saying, "It is not an issue that can be resolved only by the two of us meeting." The factional conflict surrounding the Shincheonji issue continues as the pro-Qing (pro-government) faction continues to pressure Representative Kim for a detailed apology and a promise to prevent recurrence.
On this day, Representative Kim appeared on the party's YouTube broadcast 'Minty 07' and responded to the opinion of the party's senior leaders that the conflict should be resolved by meeting in person with former Chairman Jeong, saying, "I think it is good to meet and resolve the conflict through dialogue," and "I am thinking about doing that and making efforts to do so."
He added, “It may not be reflected in everything right away, but we are trying to do that,” and added, “We will continue to try to solve this problem from that angle.”
Representative Kim apologized for the Shincheonji issue at a recent general meeting of lawmakers and said that there was a recommendation from senior figures in deciding not to fully disclose the results of the party's own investigation.
He said he had a dinner with party leaders the day before the general meeting and said, "There was a recommendation that this issue should be resolved in the least conflictual way possible, and that had a significant influence on the final decision."
On the other hand, former Representative Jeong expressed his dissatisfaction with Representative Kim's proposal for dialogue immediately after the broadcast.
Former CEO Jeong said on Facebook that day, "Not only Chung Cheong-rae, but also numerous party members and supporters are direct victims," and "It is not an issue that the two of us can meet and resolve."
He then criticized, “It was a successful political operation, so now we can talk about an apology or dialogue,” and “Forcing an agreement on the victim is another secondary offense.”
At the same time, he emphasized, "What is important are the party members who are the real victims," and "whether these people forgive or not depends entirely on the attitude of the perpetrator. I am next."
In addition, after presenting the ‘three principles of an apology’, he urged CEO Kim to “first apologize properly.”
He also mentioned that after Representative Kim apologized at the recent general meeting, the party faction evaluated it as a 'decision' and pointed out, "How can we glorify and praise him for apologizing for something he did wrong?" and "After ruining the party like this, is an apology even a decision to save the country?"
Also, regarding the proposal for conversation, he said, "I'm not going to go on air and make a big fuss by saying I'm going to talk. Isn't that my business? I haven't had a single phone call since the convention, but I have no intention of avoiding it if they insist on talking."
Even the day before, when senior lawmakers, including Rep. Park Jie-won, advised him to “talk and resolve the issue politically,” former Representative Jeong angrily said, “If you are not qualified to be a referee, don’t pretend to be a referee and get out. Just go on your way.”
Meanwhile, Representative Kim also apologized for the controversy caused by Supreme Council member Choi Min-hee, a member of the pro-Blue Party faction, referring to photo and video reporters covering the National Assembly as a "pack of hyenas" in a group chat room attended by local party members the day before.
He emphasized, "Reporters and journalists are basically people who ask and write on behalf of the people. There are times when I don't like it, but it's good to look at it from a political standpoint with the perspective that 'fundamentally, we exist on behalf of the people.'"
He continued, “Even if that is not the case, it would be right to use expressions that are respectful from the perspective of the general public. In that regard, the party feels sorry.”
In addition, CEO Kim explained the reason for suddenly canceling the morning schedule, including the appearance on the 'Minty 07' broadcast on the 10th, saying, "My mother-in-law suddenly became unwell, so I had no choice but to adjust the time like that."
