Results to be disclosed by region per party congress decision; review window runs Friday through Nov. 13; party vows systemic reforms to prevent mass membership drives

Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok (right) and Secretary General Han Jeong-ae (center) speak during the 10th plenary session of the regular National Assembly session at the National Assembly on Sunday. At left is Kim Tae-seon, chief of staff to the party leader. [Yonhap]
Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok (right) and Secretary General Han Jeong-ae (center) speak during the 10th plenary session of the regular National Assembly session at the National Assembly on Sunday. At left is Kim Tae-seon, chief of staff to the party leader. [Yonhap]

The Democratic Party of Korea will begin disclosing the findings of its membership review task force — launched to investigate allegations of mass enrollment by Shincheonji church members — on a region-by-region basis starting Friday, it has been confirmed. Both sitting Assembly members and regional committee chairs without Assembly seats will be eligible to review the data, allowing them to check the number of suspected Shincheonji members in their respective areas. Attention is now focused on whether the review process will help ease tensions within the party.

According to reporting compiled Thursday, Secretary General Han Jeong-ae sent regional committee chairs a notice Wednesday titled "Guide to individual review of membership TF results."

In the notice, Han said the party would "proceed with individual review for regional committee chairs of the membership TF's investigation results, including circumstances surrounding Shincheonji members' party enrollment, in accordance with discussions at the Tuesday party caucus." The review window runs from Friday through Nov. 13. During that period, regional committee chairs may visit Han's office inside the National Assembly to examine the findings.

The move follows a party caucus decision to allow individual review rather than full public disclosure of the investigation results, with the party leadership having finalized the specific timing and procedures.

Under the terms set out in the notice, regional committee chairs will be able to directly confirm the estimated number of suspected Shincheonji members in their areas as identified by the membership TF, but separate provision of the materials will not be permitted. Han noted in the notice that she asked for understanding in advance, as it would be "difficult to provide the relevant materials separately outside of the in-office review."

Han said Wednesday on the party's YouTube channel "Minti07" that she would allow the review "because there may be those who feel they need to know in order to manage their regions," adding that she expected to take personal charge of the review process as secretary general.

On the substance of the findings, Han explained that "it is a fact that there are a considerable number of people presumed to be Shincheonji followers," and that while individual names and the total figure had not been confirmed, "when broken down by regional committee, certain numbers do emerge."

Party leader Kim Min-seok also appeared on "Minti07" Thursday, saying the party had "entered a process of identifying the problems or concerns through internal review in a relatively less shocking and orderly manner, and of determining how to address them through systemic improvements and the party's own capabilities." He added that the party would "work through that process to find a resolution."

Separately from the review, the Democratic Party also plans to pursue systemic reforms to prevent collective or involuntary party enrollment, based on the judgment that the current Political Parties Act needs to be strengthened to block organized efforts by specific groups to join a party and influence its internal decision-making. Assembly member Im Mun-yeong, an AI expert within the party, had earlier introduced a bill to amend the Political Parties Act that would encrypt membership rosters and cross-reference them across parties.


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