Kim Eo-jun Defends Yoo Si-min, Igniting Party Leadership Controversy

Kim Eo-jun has issued his first statement since the Yoo Si-min writer controversy. He asked the host not to misunderstand writer Yoo Si-min's true intentions. This is Kim's first public response to Yoo's recent remarks, which have caused controversy within the party.

Kim Hyun-taek, who led the entry into the National Assembly building during martial law, was sentenced to 12 years in prison in the first trial and taken into legal custody. This is interpreted as the court acknowledging the gravity of the act of entering the National Assembly under the state of martial law at the time.

At a Democratic Party workshop, Representative Kim Min-seok gave a lecture emphasizing a moderate expansionist line. In response, Representative Jung Chung-rae immediately refuted Kim's remarks on his Facebook page, calling them 'rude and violent microphone dictatorship.' With Representative Kim Min-seok advocating for a pragmatic line and Representative Jung Chung-rae emphasizing strengthening the party's identity, the internal party line conflict in the Democratic Party has come to the surface.

Representative Jung Chung-rae expressed regret that Representative Kim Min-seok distorted the context of his remarks and used them as a tool for his own logic. While expressing his willingness for future cooperation, he also proposed a public debate on the moderate expansionist theory, emphasizing the need to reconcile differences. This is interpreted as showing a proactive willingness to communicate to resolve internal party line conflicts.

According to an MBS survey, President Lee Jae-myung's positive evaluation of state affairs rose by 1%p from the previous survey to 50%. In party support, the Democratic Party recorded 41% and the People Power Party 20%, widening the gap. This survey was conducted through telephone interviews, confirming a rebound in the president's approval rating.

Kim Eo-jun claimed that the president's support base had left. However, the panel analyzed that it was not an exodus of core supporters, but rather a weakening of the intensity of support. This shows a difference in the interpretation of the cause and pattern of changes in approval ratings.

According to reporter Park Dae's diagnosis, telephone interview surveys can sample even those with weak support, while ARS surveys tend to receive responses primarily from active supporters. Reporter Heo Kyung-hye analyzed that core supporters who used to respond 'very, very well' to the president are now only saying 'just well,' indicating a cooling of support intensity. This weakening of support intensity can lead to response refusal in ARS surveys, suggesting that differences in response tendencies based on survey methods can affect approval ratings.

Reporter Kang Jin-gu raised a counterargument against writer Yoo Si-min's criticism of the 'president for everyone' theory. He pointed out a contradiction by citing an instance where writer Yoo Si-min, during his support campaign for Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon in 2011, made remarks about embracing even the right wing. Reporter Kang argued that writer Yoo Si-min is currently hindering the expansion of the Lee Jae-myung administration's outreach.

Kim Eo-jun argued that writer Yoo Si-min's criticism was not about hoping for the Lee Jae-myung administration's downfall, but rather a critical outlook, defending Yoo as not being 'anti-Lee.' However, reporter Kang Jin-gu criticized Kim Eo-jun's argument as potentially appearing as one-sided shielding, considering that writer Yoo Si-min's remarks were closer to 'harsh criticism' and 'curses.' This is where opinions diverge regarding the true intention of Yoo Si-min's remarks and Kim Eo-jun's interpretation of them.

Lecturer Bae Ki-seong criticized the current president for not communicating or empathizing, and only showing the image of an arrogant power figure. He quoted politician Lee Jae-myung's words that politics may seem to be done by politicians, but ultimately it is done by the people, and argued that we must prove those words to be true.

Reporter Kang Jin-gu analyzed that writer Yoo Si-min, Kim Eo-jun, Representative Jung Chung-rae, and the so-called 'Team Jung Chung-rae' camp intend to put forward a candidate they support as the next presidential contender after President Lee Jae-myung's term, rather than an 'Lee-pick' candidate. He argued that they want the president to step away from party affairs and not intervene in the presidential candidate selection. This suggests a complex dynamic surrounding the party's power structure and future presidential strategy.

Reporter Kang Jin-gu stated that his interview request to writer Yoo Si-min regarding the 'arrogant power figure' remark was rejected in just one minute with the answer 'No.' He also added that he did not receive a response to questions related to the public opinion poll manipulation allegations. This shows that attempts to directly communicate with the party involved in the controversy were unsuccessful.

Lee Jong-hoon stated, "Now, I don't care what happens to this administration. However, I can't stand to see the Democratic Party fall." This was analyzed as revealing the true intentions of the Kim Eo-jun and Yoo Si-min faction. It was argued that they are more interested in regaining party power and placing their people in key party positions than in the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Lee Jong-won argued that the Democratic Party's traditional supporters are currently being alienated. He strongly criticized the 'New Lee Jae-myung Faction' as the enemy of the Democratic Party and a public enemy. Lee Jong-won emphasized the attitude of distancing oneself from President Lee Jae-myung for internal power struggles, and stated that the Democratic Party's core supporters will wield a 'rod of correction' against a president who is not 'Democratic Party-like.'

Reporter Kang Jin-gu analyzed that Lee Jong-won's argument could be interpreted as a power struggle to seize intra-party hegemony. He quoted writer Yoo Si-min's remarks, suggesting that they intend to justify a change in the party's mainstream. This indicates a shared view that the struggle between the party's traditional support base and the 'New Lee Jae-myung Faction' is important.

Representative Kim Moon-soo held a press conference urging a fact-finding investigation and disciplinary action regarding the alleged manipulation of public opinion polls by Sisatapa TV. He argued that it constitutes obstruction of business, undermining the fairness of the general election, and demanded criminal charges and severe punishment and disciplinary action at the party level. This officially raises concerns about unfairness that arose during the Democratic Party's general election, foreshadowing significant repercussions within the party.

It is known that the Democratic Party leadership is preparing legal action against Lee Jong-won. Reporter Kang Jin-gu stated that Representative Park Seon-hoon mentioned this in a media interview, and it appears that legal review for criminal charges is in its final stages. This shows the party's strong will to respond to the allegations of public opinion manipulation.

A prosecutor-turned-lawyer from the public security department believed that if someone uses a specific microphone on terrestrial broadcasting to induce people to 'respond to opinion poll X,' they could be immediately indicted. This suggests that even mere statements could be recognized as an act threatening fair public opinion polls. The panelists discussed how incitement to public opinion manipulation targeting an unspecified large number of people would be handled legally.

Lee Jong-won analyzed that if a specific candidate wins by 10% in the capital area (Seoul and Gyeonggi) on August 15, Kim Min-seok would win by approximately 4%, narrowing the vote difference. He predicted that in this scenario, if Jung Chung-rae wins the public opinion poll by 8% to 10%, a reversal would be possible. However, after the actual vote results were confirmed on August 16, he conceded defeat.

CEO Lee Jong-won claimed that he responded in real-time to generate a block vote for a specific candidate in the public opinion polls. He stated, "Our citizens received a lot of calls, and a block vote went to Han Min-soo and Lee Seong-yoon," adding that he received nearly 200 verification texts. This statement, implying the ability to neutralize 16,000 delegate votes, further heightened the seriousness of the public opinion manipulation allegations.

Reporter Kang Jin-gu refuted the argument that obstruction of business targeting an unspecified large number of people is not punishable. He said, "Who would have thought someone would do such a thing openly through broadcasting?" and suggested that Lee Jong-won could set the first precedent. In a situation where there is no legal precedent for broadcast-incited public opinion manipulation, the panelists discussed the possibility of applying obstruction of business charges.

Reporter Heo Kyung-hye announced that she is scheduled to give a lecture at the Imsil County Office 3rd-floor auditorium in North Jeolla Province on September 1. Although it is a lecture for 300 people, she expressed concerns about her personal safety, saying, "I'm nervous. Won't I get kicked?"