Factions loyal to Chung Chung-rai and to President Lee Jae-myung clashed openly at a Democratic Party leadership meeting over whether to release the findings of an investigation into allegations that members of the Shincheonji religious group systematically joined the party during its Aug. 17 national convention. Supreme Council member Lee Sung-yoon, aligned with Chung, called for full disclosure of the results and for accountability to be assigned, prompting Supreme Council member Park Sun-won — head of the party's membership review task force and an ally of the president — to push back publicly, bringing the rift within the leadership into the open.
"It is time to disclose to the public and to our members, exactly as it stands, the findings of the investigation into the alleged Shincheonji involvement that divided our party and wounded our members," Lee said at the Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on the 23rd.
He cited a poll released on the 21st showing that 80.5% of the public supported full disclosure of the findings. He also pointed to testimony at a parliamentary audit by Kim Tae-hoon, former head of the joint police-prosecution investigation headquarters, who said that despite an eight-month inquiry into allegations of organized party enrollment by Shincheonji, no evidence of coordinated enrollment instructions or group sign-ups had been found at any party other than the People Power Party.
Turning to party leader Kim Min-seok, Lee said: "It is time to disclose the basis for the claim of a secret alliance of anti-Lee forces, divisionists and Shincheonji, and to settle this matter." He added that "if the allegations of Shincheonji involvement are true, those responsible must be held to account, and if there is no basis for them, our party must impose correspondingly severe accountability."
Park responded at the end of the open session, asking to speak with the words, "Let me say one thing, Mr. Leader," before countering: "I will make a public announcement at the press briefing room. As head of the task force, I will fulfill my responsibility." Park appeared visibly uncomfortable, viewing the offensive from Chung's allies as aimed at him as the official who oversaw the investigation and reported its findings. The leadership is said to have talked Park out of the move during the closed-door session that followed. Meeting reporters after the meeting, Park was reticent, saying only, "I have nothing more to say today."
The conflict stems from allegations raised by Kim during the party's convention of what he called a "three-way secret alliance" of anti-Lee forces, divisionists and Shincheonji. Chung, the former party leader who was then competing for the leadership, objected at the time, saying, "They are sending up smoke as if I were connected to it." After taking office, Kim set up the membership review task force under Park to investigate the allegations.
Chung's allies have stepped up pressure for disclosure since the task force reported its findings to the leadership. Senior Supreme Council member Choi Min-hee and Supreme Council member Han Min-soo also called for the findings to be released and responsibility determined, while Chung has said that if the allegations prove false, those who raised them should be held accountable.
The party leadership had initially leaned toward not releasing the findings, according to officials. Two meetings held on the 14th ended without a conclusion, and Kim has deferred follow-up steps until after the parliamentary audit.
Park Sung-joon, the party's chief spokesperson, told reporters after the Supreme Council meeting that "the view was basically coalescing around not announcing it," adding that "the conclusion was simply that disclosure versus non-disclosure requires more discussion." He said it was "a matter that requires gathering the Supreme Council members' views for deliberation and debate," and added that "the Supreme Council will reach a conclusion taking comprehensive account of the fallout that disclosure would have on public opinion and within the party."