Democrats Struggling Over 'Cheoreomhoe' Dissolution... Hwang Unha Says "Need to Reflect, But..."

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] Members inside and outside the Democratic Party who are involved in the disbandment of the group ‘Cheoreomhoe,’ which researches prosecutorial reform within the party, have fallen into a dilemma. This is due to the responsibility being raised for Cheoreomhoe’s activities amid a series of political environments, including voices gaining strength to eliminate factions within the party after losing both the presidential and local elections.

Kang Byung-won, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker

On the 14th, Democratic Party lawmaker Kang Byung-won appeared on KBS Radio’s Choi Kyung-young’s Choi Kang Sisa and stated, "The fact that Cheoreomhoe has become a subject of national interest and is being discussed within the party suggests that many people are holding Cheoreomhoe politically accountable for its activities over the past two years."

Lawmaker Kang said, "Didn’t Cheoreomhoe lead the ‘Geomsu Wanbak’ (complete removal of prosecution’s investigative powers)? Also, the behavior shown by members belonging to Cheoreomhoe during the confirmation hearing of Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon greatly disappointed the public. Furthermore, one of them even resorted to a disguised resignation to realize Geomsu Wanbak," adding, "Isn’t this a political accountability being demanded for Cheoreomhoe’s activities and those of its members?"

Kang argued, "Instead of debating whether Cheoreomhoe members are a faction or not, they should evaluate the political activities Cheoreomhoe has undertaken over the past two years and be able to speak out about the points of public disappointment."

On the same day, Democratic Party lawmaker Hwang Un-ha, appearing on CBS Radio’s Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show, explained, "(Cheoreomhoe members) mostly think of themselves as people who can sacrifice themselves for political reform and prosecutorial reform as a historic task, transcending personal or political interests." Hwang said, "Despite such goodwill, regarding the calls for Cheoreomhoe’s disbandment, Cheoreomhoe itself needs to reflect on itself first," and added, "They should humbly accept the criticism that Cheoreomhoe bears some responsibility for the current crisis."

Hwang Unha, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "If disbandment is hastily promoted, it could accelerate division."

Regarding future directions, he said, "Whether disbanding Cheoreomhoe is the right answer requires careful consideration," and added, "It is necessary to listen to the voices of fellow lawmakers who expect and support the achievements of past activities and future directions, as well as those of our party members."

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