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| Rep. Lee In-young, floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, third from left, speaks during a supreme council meeting of the party, Wednesday, at a conference hall in the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in central Seoul. On his left is DPK leader Rep. Lee Hae chan and right, Rep. Nam In-soon. Yonhap |
By Jung Da-min
Members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) have been divided over the issue of handling controversies surrounding Justice Minister Cho Kuk. This came as the approval rating for President Moon Jae-in dipped to its lowest in recent polls with that of the DPK also falling.
Cho has been embroiled in a snowballing corruption scandal involving accusations that he and his wife used their influence to secure certificates and other qualifications for their children to ensure their acceptance into top universities, as well as allegations of shady financial dealings among his relatives and their family businesses.
DPK floor leader Rep. Lee In-young said Wednesday that many of the party members at its general meeting the day before voiced their opposition of the prosecution's recent search of Cho's home. The search on Monday was the first time the prosecution has searched the home of its own leader.
Many DPK members have criticized the prosecution saying the raid was "too much" because it continued for around 11 hours. They said it could have been done within a few hours but the prosecution was trying to vilify Cho.
"We are reviewing whether we should take legal action against the prosecution for its investigation practices but it would be the best if the situation gets better so that we do not need to use this card," Rep. Lee said.
Some other DPK members, however, have cautiously expressed concerns over a possible negative impact from the ongoing scandal on the outcome of next year's general elections. Among them were Rep. Keum Tae-sup, one of the junior members of the DPK.
Keum recently said the DPK "should make a wise decision" next time, although he didn't comment directly on the scandal about the justice minister.
DPK floor spokeswoman Jung Choun-sook told reporters that there were a lot of discussions and different views on the fate of the minister. "The party members said we should keep an eye on Cho and further developments, as well, to see how the related facts would turn out."
The DPK was set to reactivate a taskforce for fact-checking that had been formed earlier for the confirmation hearing of Cho.
Meanwhile, main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) floor leader Rep. Na Kyung-won called for her party to submit a motion to the National Assembly for the dismissal of Cho.
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