Jung urges Kim to apologize publicly, calls party defense 'secondary harm'

Jung Chung-rae, former leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on Wednesday called on party leader Kim Min-seok to issue a public apology over Shincheonji-related allegations, denouncing a wave of support for Kim within the party as "secondary harm" to victims.

In a Facebook post that day, Jung wrote: "Apology is the perpetrator's duty. Forgiveness is the victim's right." Jung urged Kim to "seriously consider the feelings of victims who weep tears of blood in humiliation."

Jung then condemned what he called "shield-covering" — treating Kim's private apology as a heroic act of national resolve. "That kind of shielding is secondary harm to the victims," he wrote. "Stop the secondary harm."

Earlier, Kim had bowed his head at a closed-door caucus meeting on Tuesday, acknowledging that claims he made during the party leadership race — alleging a so-called "three-way alliance" of anti-Lee Jae Myung forces, splittists and Shincheonji — had lacked any basis.

Following the apology, lawmakers aligned with Jung pressed Kim to take responsibility and apologize publicly.

By contrast, lawmakers aligned with Lee Jae Myung signaled a desire to draw a line under the Shincheonji episode and close ranks within the party.

Jung's call to "stop the secondary harm" ultimately signals a refusal to accept that outcome.

Speaking to reporters immediately after Tuesday's caucus meeting, Jung had already said he wanted Kim to "come out publicly and apologize to party members — not hide in a closed-door caucus and say sorry." Jung added: "The result is that party members and Jung Chung-rae are found innocent, and candidate Kim Min-seok is found guilty."

In a separate Facebook post the same day, Jung wrote that Kim's allegations about Shincheonji "were in effect groundless, yet ended as a successful political maneuver. He did something that warranted an apology and still won the party leadership." Jung urged Kim to "clean up what you caused, apologize publicly to party members and take responsibility."