The 'Joguk Certificate' Also Summoned... Former President Moon's Message 'Truth Dispute'

Park Ji-won "No Alternative Except Lee Jae-myung" Message
Park Yong-jin "Change, Determination, Unity" Message
Ruling Party Rep. Kim Woong Mentions 'Cho Kuk Commendation'

The 'truth dispute' surrounding former President Moon Jae-in's message is heating up. Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won conveyed the message that "there is no alternative except Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea," but Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin said that the message mentioned 'change, determination, and harmony.' Within the party, factions are engaged in heated debates over which message is the real one.

Lee Sang-min, a non-Myeong faction Democratic Party lawmaker, said on the morning of the 20th on SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show,' "Former Director Park is not someone who would make things up, and Lawmaker Park probably conveyed it as it was," but added, "I wonder if former President Moon would have easily expressed a clear stance on such a critical party issue by saying it is on one side or the other." This is interpreted as showing some skepticism toward former Director Park's message. The non-Myeong faction, including him, is demanding Lee's resignation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The pro-Myeong faction considers former Director Park's message credible. Pro-Myeong Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min said on BBS's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' that "'The party must unite around Leader Lee,' this is something former President Moon also urged. Many senior party members and those who deeply care about the party say that they have no choice but to follow Leader Lee, and frankly, there is no alternative right now," he said. Regarding Lawmaker Park's message, he critically noted, "Lawmaker Park has always been critical of Leader Lee's regime, so it is possible that he amplified that part in his interpretation."

Both the pro-Myeong and non-Myeong factions are presenting 'self-serving interpretations.' Ultimately, as an extension of the internal conflict over Leader Lee's position, party unity is unlikely to be easily achieved even with former President Moon's message. Lawmaker Park said on CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "I cannot agree with summoning former President Moon's message as a subject of internal party conflict and interpreting it this way or that," adding, "We should just take his words or messages as encouragement and advice and leave it at that."

Jo Won-jin, leader of the Our Republican Party, said on YTN's 'News King with Park Ji-hoon,' "It would be better if former President Moon just stayed quiet. The party situation won't change just because former President Moon speaks, and the nomination rights are at stake," urging restraint.

Even ruling party lawmakers added their voices to the opposition's truth dispute. Kim Woong, a People Power Party lawmaker, said, "During Cho Kuk's confirmation hearing in 2019, then-lawmaker Park Ji-won showed a color copy of the certificate from Dongyang University and said, 'This is the problem. The candidate did not disclose it, but the certificate seized by the prosecution has also come to me.' He tried to suggest that the prosecution leaked the certificate photo," adding, "However, the certificate photo obtained by the prosecution was black and white, and the attempt to portray the prosecution as the source of public opinion manipulation failed. Even this anecdote shows whose words might be true."

People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong criticized, "If true, even a former president has joined in shielding Leader Lee. Should a retired president act as a regent for the major opposition party? After advertising himself as a book publisher and imitating a Confucian scholar, is he now going to play the role of the 'Yangsan Daewongun'?"

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