Choi Min-hee: "If the scream faction moves, I will kill them along with party members"

'Choilhoe' Special Lecture and Other Emergency Movements
Choi Min-hee "Media Encourages Division Within Democratic Party"
Democratic Party "Not an Official Party Position"

Minhee Choi, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, said regarding predictions that the anti-Lee Jae-myung faction within the party would become more active, "I will fight to the death with the party members." Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Choi Min-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, responded to predictions that the anti-Lee Jae-myung faction (Bi-Myung faction) would become more active following the first trial verdict in Lee Jae-myung's Public Official Election Act violation case by saying, "I will kill them together with party members."

On the 16th, Choi participated in the '3rd National Action Day to Condemn Kim Geon-hee and Yoon Seok-youl's State Power Abuse and Demand a Special Prosecutor' rally held in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, where she spoke with party members and YouTubers. During an interview with 'OhmyTV,' when asked about her outlook on the upcoming trial, she said, "The key is whether the Democratic Party will split or not," adding, "Whether the faction within the Democratic Party that has been holding its breath will stir up or not will determine if this situation will be overcome or if the Democratic Party will fall apart."

She continued, "Some media outlets have already reported that 'the Bi-Myung faction, which had been holding its breath within the Democratic Party, has started to move,'" and said, "If the Bi-Myung faction moves, they will die. I will kill them together with party members." She further stated, "My perception is that the vested interests in South Korea are united tightly in a situation of 'killing Lee Jae-myung,'" and argued, "Just because there are signs that the 'Kim Geon-hee regime' is collapsing, do you think they will easily step down? I don't think so." Finally, Choi said, "It is the media that stirs up division within the Democratic Party," adding, "Behind the media, there is the 'Prosecutor-Media Dictatorship System' (a dictatorship system of prosecutors and media). They might think that if something happens to Lee Jae-myung, our faction can seize power, but they should wake up from that dream."

However, the Democratic Party leadership drew a line on the 18th, stating that "this is not the party's official position." When asked by reporters whether there had been any discussion within the leadership about Choi's remarks being extreme, spokesperson Hwang Jeong-ah replied, "I think individual lawmakers can have different opinions." She added, "Some think strongly, and some think moderately," and said, "Everyone can express their views according to their own convictions."

Earlier, on the 15th, Lee Jae-myung was sentenced to a suspended prison term in the first trial for violating the Public Official Election Act. In response, the 'Choi-ilhoe,' an off-site group mainly composed of former lawmakers from the Bi-Myung faction, is showing activity by inviting former Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum on the 1st of next month to give a special lecture on the topic of 'Evaluation of the U.S. Presidential Election and Prospects for Korea-U.S. Relations and International Affairs.'