Democratic Party to Report Findings of Internal Probe into Suspected Shincheonji Mass Membership at Early-Month Lawmakers' Meeting
The Democratic Party of Korea plans to report the findings of its internal investigation into suspicions of mass membership by Shincheonji church members at a closed-door lawmakers' meeting on November 3 or 4. Even after Chairman Kim Min-seok said "a significant level of mass enrollment has been confirmed," details such as the scale of the memberships have not been disclosed, drawing attention to whether this report will become the first official occasion to reveal the truth behind the allegations.
The investigation traces back to the party convention on August 17. When then-candidate Kim Min-seok remarked that "breaking the three-way secret alliance of anti-Lee Jae-myung forces, factionalism, and Shincheonji is the essence of this convention," it was interpreted as an attack on candidate Chung Chung-rae, who was competing against two candidates allied with Lee Jae-myung. Chung pushed back, saying he would "take legal action against everyone caught up in this." After being elected party chairman on August 24, Kim appointed Supreme Council member Park Seon-won as head of a membership audit task force (TF, a dedicated unit to review party membership qualifications) to investigate dual memberships (one person joining multiple parties) and ghost members (fake members who do not actually participate in party activities).
The course of the investigation itself also fueled controversy. The task force concluded its probe on September 13 and reported to the Supreme Council, and when Maeil Business Newspaper reported the same day that the scale of the mass enrollment was around 30,000 to 50,000 people, the controversy intensified. Chairman Kim Min-seok said on the YouTube channel 'Minti07' that "a considerable degree of mass enrollment has been confirmed, and we have also accumulated quite a few significant testimonies." However, he never disclosed the scale and timing of the enrollments or the sources of the information.
Former Chairman Chung Chung-rae responded on Facebook the day of the report, saying that "if the findings show the claims were false, those responsible must take responsibility" and "let's reveal everything, down to the last drop." Lawmakers from the pro-Chung faction, including Choi Min-hee, Lee Sung-yoon, and Han Min-su, urged Chairman Kim to "disclose the basis for the secret alliance claim," adding that "if there is no evidence, corresponding and serious accountability must certainly be demanded."
While the leadership delayed releasing the results, the limits of the internal probe were also pointed out. A party-level investigation without investigative authority can hardly confirm the circumstances of the mass enrollment or its connection to personnel matters within the party. Observers generally agree that whether this controversy can be laid to rest within the party through a closed-door report to the lawmakers' meeting will depend on how much of the findings are disclosed.
