Jung Se-kyun: "Let's Create an In-Party Verification Team"... Lee Jae-myung and Chu Mi-ae: "No Verification of Specific Candidates Allowed"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jin-young] Amid growing calls within the party to establish a verification body due to negative attacks among ruling party presidential candidates and controversy over Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung's past drunk driving incident, former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun proposed on the 4th to Lee and former Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, "Let's form an internal clean verification team." In response, Lee and former Minister Choo effectively rejected the proposal, stating, "Verification targeting a specific candidate is not acceptable."

At the second presidential candidate TV debate hosted by YTN that day, former Prime Minister Chung asked, "How about proactively forming a verification team together with former Minister Choo?" Lee responded with a relatively sharp stance, saying, "I think it is necessary if the scope of verification is not limited and includes all close aides' corruption and capabilities," adding, "It would be better to conduct the verification internally because they would not attack by speculating on false facts like my past record."

Former party leader Lee Nak-yeon agreed with former Prime Minister Chung, asking, "I agree. How can we verify any issues and in what way?" Former Prime Minister Chung replied, "The evaluation should consider qualifications, morality, capability, and identity," adding, "This is to ensure the party takes responsibility rather than engaging in verbal battles outside. There are no sacred zones."

Former Minister Choo also said, "I have been thoroughly scrutinized for one year and one month, so I think I am the candidate who needs the least verification among us. If you want to do it, go ahead."

In response, former Prime Minister Chung said, "I am very grateful that both of you agree. I propose that we request this from the party in all our names," firmly pushing for the formation of the verification team.

Then, former Minister Choo cautioned, calling it a "premature conclusion," and said, "This issue suddenly seems to be targeting a specific candidate and might head in a somewhat strange direction or be carried out impulsively, which is not stipulated in the party constitution and regulations. I think it is necessary to mature the discussion further," putting the brakes on the proposal.

Former Prime Minister Chung had previously suggested several times the establishment of a party-level verification body to investigate allegations against presidential primary candidates. As Governor Lee's drunk driving past became controversial, other candidates have joined in demanding the establishment of a verification team. However, the party leadership has not expressed a particular stance, stating, "We are not discussing this separately."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.