intensifying internal conflict in the People Power Party, Rep. Baehyun-jin strongly criticizes former Mayor Hong Joon-pyo

Rep. Baehyun-jin of the People Power Party directed sharp criticism at former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, calling him a “cunning soul.”

Rep. Baehyun-jin, who entered politics as the first recruit in 2018 under Hong's guidance, issued her pointed comments via her social media on the afternoon of the 28th.

Rep. Baehyun-jin mentioned, “With the upcoming party convention, the party is in disarray due to various controversies stemming from sect-like Christian groups seeking political power in different ways,” directly pointing to the controversies surrounding recent reports of 100,000 Shincheonji members attempting to join and the Unification Church members' rumored entries into the party.

In particular, she criticized, “There are candidates shamelessly courting these groups, wondering if they might help in bulk by saying 'Joining a party is free, so why discriminate against who can join?' while there are also sly individuals who have kept their mouths shut for years, hoping for their turn, and are now fervently engaged in exposing and slandering others," delivering her critique in a strong tone. She added, “The citizens are watching these cowardly remarks with disdain.”

“There are candidates shamelessly courting these groups, wondering if they might help in bulk by saying 'Joining a party is free, so why discriminate against who can join?' while there are also sly individuals who have kept their mouths shut for years, hoping for their turn, and are now fervently engaged in exposing and slandering others.”

The core of the internal conflict within the party, the Shincheonji membership rumors and competition for the party leadership

The “courting candidate” mentioned by Rep. Baehyun-jin is reported to refer to Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk, while the “cunning soul” refers to former Mayor Hong Joon-pyo.

This statement vividly illustrates the ongoing conflicts within the People Power Party ahead of the party convention.

Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk, who is challenging for the party leadership, previously stated regarding the Shincheonji membership rumors, “They can also engage in political activities as citizens of South Korea,” asserting that “any religious group, or religious person, can fully express their political opinions and can support or join any party.”

On the contrary, former Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, who was the first to raise the issue of large numbers of Shincheonji members joining the party, explained, “I learned about the massive participation of Shincheonji members shortly after the presidential candidate primary but didn’t disclose it until now because it could have raised questions about the legitimacy of the Yoon administration.”

He also revealed, “Now disclosing this matters is because such phenomena continue within that party (People Power Party) for the sake of its future.”

Rep. Baehyun-jin emphasized, “The People Power Party has already suffered many wounds, but the members still hope it can recover to be a ‘gathering of normal-thinking humans’ that meets the expectations of the public.”

She urged the candidates running in the upcoming party convention, “Those who have stepped forward should not forget these sentiments,” advising the candidates for party leadership to maintain a mindset free from personal interests and extremism.

Image source: Rep. Baehyun-jin of the People Power Party / News1, (left) Rep. Jang Dong-hyuk, (right) former Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo / News1