As allegations of Shincheonji involvement surface within the Democratic Party, former leader Jung Cheong-rae and his supporters are intensifying pressure on Kim Min-seok, a former Prime Minister who raised the suspicions.
On July 23, Jung posted on Facebook, stating, "I will respond strongly to the baseless Shincheonji allegations," and added, "I will act with the intention of saving the party from actions that put it in danger. I will protect the party, so I ask party members to support me."
Earlier, Jung appeared on the YouTube channel '2-Minute News' and asserted, "I have no connection to Shincheonji. This is 100% fake news," emphasizing that claims suggesting Shincheonji is trying to exert influence over the Democratic Party's convention are dangerous and could lead the party to be labeled unconstitutional. He challenged his accusers, saying, "If you have doubts, report me to the police and provide evidence. If you cannot, you should apologize."
Assembly member Choi Min-hee, also running for a leadership position, expressed confusion, asking, "What exactly did Shincheonji do during our convention process? I apologize for not understanding."
Choi, along with fellow candidates Lee Sung-yoon and Han Min-soo, held a press conference the previous day, urging Kim to present evidence immediately, stating, "If you cannot provide evidence, apologize to the Democratic Party and its members and resign as a candidate for party leader."
Meanwhile, Kim addressed the allegations in a press conference, saying, "I only pointed out the issues regarding Shincheonji's political involvement and do not feel responsible for linking it to any specific candidate."
In response, Shincheonji expressed deep regret over Kim's comments regarding the alleged interference in the convention, stating, "We have no interest in the convention and have not engaged in any such actions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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