Democratic Party confirms evidence of organized entry of Shincheonji members through internal probe... Party on alert over approval ratings
The Democratic Party of Korea has confirmed evidence of the organized entry of Shincheonji members through an internal investigation, formally announcing on the 13th that the findings to date had been reported to the Supreme Council. The investigation was conducted through the party membership overhaul task force (TF) formed by Chairman Kim Min-seok after taking office to clean up dual party affiliations, ghost members, and involuntary sign-ups. Supreme Council member Park Sun-won, who heads the TF, shared an overview of the findings at a closed-door Supreme Council meeting last week.
A party leadership official said the number of Shincheonji adherents believed to be among party members based on the findings stood in the tens of thousands, and some media outlets reported figures of at least 30,000 to 50,000, though the exact scale, timing, and whether organizational involvement was involved have not been officially confirmed. Chairman Kim also avoided giving a direct answer when asked about the scale on the 13th.
The magnitude of the fallout within and outside the party is expected to depend on how many adherents joined the party and when. If the memberships came close to the party convention, it would bolster suspicions raised by Chairman Kim about a secret alliance of "anti-factionalism, separatism, and Shincheonji" elements; if not, the suspicion-raising itself could become controversial. Former Chairman Chung Chung-rae, who faced a Shincheonji offensive during the party convention, wrote on Facebook on the 13th: "If the investigation shows the claims about a 'Banbunshin' (anti-factionalism, separatism, Shincheonji) secret alliance were false, those responsible must be held accountable," adding, "Let's uncover everything down to the last drop."
