"Leadership's Delayed Response?"... Conflict Intensifies Between Bimyeong and Chinmyeong After 'Kim Nam-guk Coin Suspicion' (Comprehensive)

Public Outcry from Reform Faction at April 14 Party Meeting
Money Envelope and Kim Nam-guk Allegations "Leadership Issue"
Pro-Moon Faction "Hard to Verify Facts, No Division Allowed"

The Democratic Party of Korea is facing a crisis due to allegations of cryptocurrency investment involving former Democratic Party (now independent) lawmaker Kim Nam-guk, and responsibility is increasingly being placed on party leader Lee Jae-myung. Lee himself has been engulfed in 'judicial risk,' and it is said that he responded lukewarmly to internal party corruption allegations, including the money envelope scandal and the cryptocurrency investment suspicions. The anti-Lee faction (Bi-Myung faction) is calling for Lee's resignation, escalating factional conflicts within the party.

Kim Jong-min, a Democratic Party lawmaker classified as part of the Bi-Myung faction, said on the 16th on BBS Radio's 'Jeon Young-shin's Morning Journal' regarding the party's 'money envelope allegations' and the Kim Nam-guk incident, "This is prosecutorial oppression. And it is not illegal. The party has no way to respond. (The party's reaction) is so complacent." He added, "If this continues, the Democratic Party will be in serious trouble."

At the marathon reform party meeting held on the 14th, about 30 lawmakers reportedly pointed out the party's crisis and criticized the leadership's response and responsibility. In particular, during the emergence of the money envelope allegations at the party convention and Kim's investment suspicions, the party leadership's lukewarm response led to the main figures involved leaving the party, with no other significant actions taken, which is the main concern among party lawmakers.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Eung-cheon criticized on YTN Radio's 'Park Ji-hoon's News King,' saying, "The problem is that the leadership is slow to respond to these adverse issues," and added, "Meanwhile, public opinion has worsened to the point of boiling over into a non-tie, and during that time, the party has failed to take proper measures, leading to a cycle of defections." He further explained, "There are even talks now questioning whether there is a problem with the party leader's leadership or political judgment."

On the other hand, Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin argued that the party is facing a crisis and that Lee should be supported. On the same day, he said on Facebook, "The party is in an absolute crisis right now, and as the party leader, Lee must wield the sword of Democratic Party reform," adding, "If the party is at risk of collapsing from within, I ask Lee to stand at the center of this issue with responsibility and authority to resolve it."

There have also been renewed calls to disband 'Cheoreomhoe,' a pro-Lee faction lawmakers' group within the party. Former Democratic Party emergency committee member Park Ji-hyun said, "At the party meeting last Sunday where we gathered to call for 'reform,' the leader protected lawmaker Kim. This is the epitome of sentimentalism," and demanded, "Disband Cheoreomhoe, which protects lawmaker Kim, and decisively cut off the fan politics that support Cheoreomhoe and protect Kim."

The conflict between the pro-Lee (pro-Lee Jae-myung) and anti-Lee factions is also intensifying. Hong Ki-won, a first-term lawmaker from the Bi-Myung faction who criticized the leadership's response at the reform meeting, told this outlet in a phone interview, "Similar problems will continue to arise, and we must not respond as we have now," urging, "We need to enable the Ethics Committee to operate independently so that we can respond quickly when issues arise."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, after the party meeting, the pro-Lee faction defended lawmaker Kim, known as a close aide to Lee, and firmly opposed criticism of the leadership. Kim Young-jin, a pro-Lee second-term lawmaker, said, "We respect the content of the party meeting's resolution." Regarding calls for Lee's re-endorsement, he said, "Individual lawmakers are free to have their own opinions." Democratic Party spokesperson Park Sung-jun also criticized, saying, "It is difficult to say the party responded slowly because investigations cannot proceed immediately once the prosecution starts," and added, "The party meeting was used as an attack tool."

In response, pro-Lee and Supreme Council member Jang Kyung-tae said, "Are we trying to deepen division here?" and countered, "It was a very difficult situation to ascertain the truth about virtual assets. Honestly, was there even one lawmaker who knew what an airdrop was?" He added, "We are discussing at the Supreme Council the creation of a crisis management and response manual to ensure the party does not respond slowly in the future."

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