People Power Party Demands Special Probe Into Shincheonji Membership Allegations

South Korea’s main opposition People Power Party called Saturday for a special counsel investigation into allegations that members of the Shincheonji religious group may have joined the ruling Democratic Party in large numbers.

The demand followed a public dispute among Democratic Party Supreme Council members over whether to disclose the results of the ruling party’s internal review of the allegations. The People Power Party argued that the disagreement had raised questions about why the findings had not been released.

Park Sung-hoon, a senior spokesperson for the opposition party, said in a written statement that the Democratic Party leadership had clashed publicly over publication of the review. He accused the ruling party of trying to conceal allegations affecting its own membership while having previously criticized suspected links between Shincheonji and the People Power Party.

Park urged the Democratic Party to cooperate with what he described as a strict investigation by law enforcement authorities. His comments were political allegations and did not establish that Shincheonji members had coordinated a mass-entry effort or that the ruling party had improper ties to the group.

Another People Power Party spokesperson, Cho Yong-sul, said the controversy had continued for months without a clear resolution. He proposed creating a special counsel investigation to examine any relationship between the Democratic Party and Shincheonji.

The opposition’s call puts additional pressure on the governing party to explain both the scope of its internal inquiry and its decision-making over disclosure. The immediate dispute centers not only on the underlying membership allegations but also on transparency within the Democratic Party’s leadership.

No response from the Democratic Party to Saturday’s special-counsel demand was included in the initial report. No independent investigative finding substantiating the opposition’s accusations was cited either. The claims therefore remain contested political allegations rather than established facts.

The episode adds a new front to South Korea’s broader debate over possible links between religious organizations and party politics. It also highlights how internal party reviews can become political flashpoints when their methods, evidence and conclusions are not made public. Whether the dispute advances beyond partisan statements will depend on the ruling party’s handling of its review and whether investigative authorities or lawmakers take formal action.