Democratic Freshmen Lawmakers Leading 검수완박 Support 조국 Defense and Endorsement
Faced with Calls for Disbandment over 최강욱 Sexual Harassment Allegation and Severe Sanctions
Public Opinion Worsens Amid 민형배's Party Exit and 한동훈 Hearing Failure
박지현 Criticizes "Cheoreomhoe" for Relying on Violent Fandom, Neglecting Public Welfare
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Former co-chair of the Democratic Party's Emergency Response Committee, Park Jihyun, pointed to the 'Cheoreomhoe' as being at the center of the Democratic Party's election defeat. Cheoreomhoe is a group of hardline first-term lawmakers within the Democratic Party, formed in June 2020 with the purpose of "completing the reform tasks of the Moon Jae-in administration, including prosecutorial reform."
However, as analyses emerged that Cheoreomhoe's unilateral behavior during the push for prosecutorial reform, such as the complete removal of prosecutorial investigative authority (known as Geomsu Wanbak), and politics riding on fandom led to consecutive defeats in the presidential and local elections, calls for its disbandment have surfaced. Opinions on Cheoreomhoe are divided even within the Democratic Party, but there is generally a consensus that their hardline stance, which refused to accept criticism of the party, contributed to the loss of moderate voters.
Cheoreomhoe originally started as a study group on reform measures for power institutions such as the prosecution. The founding members were Representative Choi Kangwook, who created the group, and Representatives Kim Namguk, Kim Seungwon, Kim Yongmin, Lee Tanhee, and Hwang Unha, and currently, it is known that about 20 members including Kim Euigyeom, Moon Jungbok, Min Hyungbae, and Lee Sujin belong to the group.
Members of Cheoreomhoe played a leading role in the forceful passage of the so-called 'Geomsu Wanbak' bill, which was passed in May. Among Cheoreomhoe members, five (Representatives Choi Kangwook, Kim Namguk, Kim Yongmin, Min Hyungbae, and Lee Sujin) were assigned to the first subcommittee of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee (Law Committee) at that time. Among them, Representative Min Hyungbae (currently independent) left the Democratic Party to ensure the bill passed the agenda coordination committee stage, drawing criticism as a 'trick.'
The calls for disbanding Cheoreomhoe within the party stem from the view that Min's departure and Cheoreomhoe's unilateral actions and unconditional 'covering for their own side' during the prosecutorial reform process were among the key reasons leading to election defeats. Cheoreomhoe, which set prosecutorial reform as its most important goal, has actively defended and supported former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk.
During the last presidential election, when former Chair Park Jihyun mentioned the Cho Kuk incident and issued a public apology, Cheoreomhoe did not respond positively. At that time, Representative Kim Namguk criticized Chair Park, saying, "Was it really necessary to bring that up again?" Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung also apologized several times during the campaign for the Cho Kuk incident, but Cheoreomhoe often presented different arguments when voices within the party called for reflection and reform.
In particular, the statements and actions of Cheoreomhoe members of the Law Committee during the confirmation hearing of Minister of Justice Han Donghoon played a decisive role in turning public opinion against them. The Democratic Party had been eager to thoroughly scrutinize Minister Han, who had publicly opposed Geomsu Wanbak. However, during the personnel verification questioning, Representative Kim Namguk mistakenly identified 'Professor Lee' as Minister Han's daughter's 'uncle,' and Representative Choi Kangwook misidentified 'Korea 3M' as the name of a candidate's daughter, making repeated errors. Representative Lee Sujin was criticized for her attitude when she said, "Are you being sarcastic?" after Minister Han answered her question.
Amid factional conflicts between pro-Lee Jae-myung (Chinmyeong) and anti-Lee Jae-myung (Bimyeong) groups over responsibility for the election defeat, calls for disbanding Cheoreomhoe intensified when Representative Choi Kangwook faced severe disciplinary action from the party's Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual harassment. Former Chair Park Jihyun evaluated the decision on Choi's severe punishment in a Facebook post on the 21st, saying it was "a conclusion that approached the people a little more instead of the hardline fandom that plunges the party into crisis with lies, hypocrisy, violence, and hatred."
She added, "The Geomsu Wanbak, led by lawmakers relying on fandom politics, was the biggest cause of the local election defeat. Relying on violent fandom, they neglected people's livelihoods and pushed through Geomsu Wanbak, causing the party's approval rating to drop by 10%. At the center of all these causes are the Cheoreomhoe lawmakers," she criticized.
On the other hand, there are opinions that Cheoreomhoe should not be viewed as a faction and that it is not right to force the disbandment of a private group. Emergency Response Committee Chair Woo Sang-ho said at a National Assembly press conference on the 15th, "It is unreasonable to take issue with lawmakers forming groups to study, share common interests, propose bills, or express political opinions. The emergency response chair cannot order the disbandment or reformation of private groups. It is a matter for them to decide themselves."
However, Chair Woo also said, "I respect the evaluation that their political behavior patterns and attitudes have dragged the party's overall image toward a too hardline stance."
Members of Cheoreomhoe are pushing back against former Chair Park. Representative Kim Yongmin said on Facebook on the 20th, "I cannot understand how members of the emergency committee, who bear decisive responsibility for the local election defeat, speak about the election process or party issues as if they were someone else's business." Representative Kim Namguk said in an interview on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show' on the 21st, "It was rather former Chair Park who was intoxicated by fandom. Talking about Cheoreomhoe as a symbol or problem of factional politics misses the essence, and blaming Cheoreomhoe for the defeats in the local and presidential elections is an even more absurd claim."
Meanwhile, Representative Choi Kangwook, who received a six-month suspension of party membership as a severe disciplinary measure, announced that he would request a retrial, saying, "I intend to seek additional explanations and judgments regarding facts and legal principles about the Ethics Committee's decision."
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