Three Pro-Chung Lawmakers' Supreme Council Members Confront Chair Kim Min-seok's Audit Order Head-On

'The audit target is Chair Kim Min-seok himself.' On the 13th, Supreme Council members Choi Min-hee, Han Min-su, and Lee Seong-yoon of the pro-Jeong Chung-rae faction within the Democratic Party of Korea confronted Chair Kim Min-seok's audit order head-on. Skipping the Supreme Council meeting, they held an emergency press conference at the National Assembly, expressing 'grave concern' over Kim's management of the party and urging its renewal.

At the press conference, the three argued that an audit is needed to determine whether the investigation by the 'Membership Cleanup Task Force' (a team tasked with reviewing and sorting party members' qualifications), created on Chair Kim's orders, into the Shincheonji allegations was a targeted probe aimed at former Chair Jeong Chung-rae.

Supreme Council member Han Min-su said, "We cannot but point out Chair Kim's unfair management of the party." He argued, "It is like seeing the speck in another's eye while missing the beam in one's own. Even when his own numerous inappropriate conduct and remarks stir controversy, he is lenient toward himself." He added, "He issued an ethics audit order to a fellow Supreme Council member as if he had been waiting for it, without ever asking about the circumstances beforehand," saying, "The ethics audit order targeting Council member Choi is nothing but a malicious attempt to shift the frame and redirect public opinion."

The conflict originated from Council member Choi's remarks. A media outlet reported that at a closed-door members' meeting in October, Council member Choi had made remarks to the effect that "President Lee Jae-myung also opposed the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk-yeol." In response, Chair Kim ordered the ethics audit team to investigate Council member Choi.

Council member Choi separately held her own press conference before the joint one that day to state her position. She emphasized, "Since the December 3 insurrection last year, the President has consistently argued for and seen through Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment. That is the fact." She explained that the closed-door member gathering on October 16 was a question-and-answer session to explain the President's position to party members, and that she misspoke regarding the impeachment of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, saying, "It appears there was some confusion."