Kim Minseok: "A considerable number of Shincheonji members joined... We'll clarify and sort out as much as possible"

Investigation completed ahead of parliamentary audit; findings reported to Supreme Council
On whether to request an investigation:
"We will proceed with the interests of the entire party in mind."

Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on Oct. 14, regarding the results of an internal party investigation into allegations that Shincheonji members had joined the party en masse, "We will use this opportunity to clarify and sort out as much as we can."

Appearing that day on the Democratic Party TV YouTube channel, Kim discussed the party's own fact-finding investigation and its future response, saying, "I don't think we can tell you everything."

The findings of the investigation had recently emerged through media reports. In response, the Democratic Party said in a notice to the media the previous day, "The investigation was recently concluded and reported to the Supreme Council," adding, "The extent to which the findings will be disclosed and any follow-up measures are under discussion."

Kim Minseok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, delivers opening remarks at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly on Oct. 14, 2026. Photo by Yoon Dongju

Regarding the findings, Kim said, "There have been suggestions in various places, including News Factory, about the possibility of Shincheonji being involved. Allegations have also been raised that the People Power Party saw organized membership enrollment by Shincheonji. The government has previously said that religious groups' involvement in politics must be strictly dealt with, and I also raised the issue at the last party convention." He added, "After the convention, a task force led by Supreme Council member Park Sun-won was launched to review party membership, and the investigation was in fact initially wrapped up shortly before the parliamentary audit."

Kim went on to explain that the findings were reported to the Supreme Council because waiting until after the parliamentary audit would have been too late. He said, "I heard about it for the first time then, at the Supreme Council briefing. I was told roughly how the investigation was conducted and that it had confirmed a considerable degree of mass enrollment. It confirmed that there had been a considerable degree of mass enrollment. The next steps remain to be decided: whether to disclose the findings at the Supreme Council level or at a general meeting of lawmakers, and whether to seek verification and confirmation through an investigation, given the limits of the tools available to a political party."

With media reports citing around 30,000 to 50,000 people joining the party, Kim also declined to comment on the approximate scale of the enrollment. "I don't remember the exact number, and since this wasn't established through an investigation, it was estimated using methods that could be used to verify it. The figure isn't exact," he said, adding, "There are testimonies regarding organized involvement." Kim continued, "What can you do if a religious person or anyone else joins a political party?" He added, "But it's a completely different matter if there was organized activity, or if instructions were given to engage in political activity during the party primary."

Whether to disclose the findings, how much to disclose, and what steps to take next remain under consideration.

Kim explained, "The matter is somewhat complicated and needs to be examined carefully. There are also political and administrative considerations, so after receiving the initial report, we postponed a full-scale discussion focused solely on the issue." He added that no decisions had yet been made on verification or requesting an investigation.

However, he reaffirmed his determination to get to the bottom of the matter and eliminate any wrongdoing. Kim said, "This did not first come up at this party convention; it has origins and roots in the past, so we investigated it more thoroughly on this occasion. We need to resolve it. We must handle it carefully and prudently and address the problem properly, with the future in mind." Asked about concerns that the matter could take an unpredictable turn if referred to investigative authorities, he said, "I will act with the party as a whole in mind."

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