During the Democratic Party leadership race, a photo released by Lee Ji-eun, Mapo district party chair, has been found to have deliberately removed candidate Jung Chung-rae, fueling intra-party backlash.
Lee Ji-eun, Mapo district party chair who was known as the subject of the Shincheonji allegations, released a photo of herself with party leader Lee Jae-myung during a YouTube broadcast. However, the original photo reportedly also included Jung Chung-rae, and the discovery has backfired on her.
This further intensified suspicions of photo manipulation and circulation.
Shincheonji-related events were frequently held at this restaurant, and the restaurant owner confirmed that Jung Chung-rae and Lee Ji-eun also visited often. This suggests the people connected to the photo's setting may be linked to a specific group.
The photo was taken in March 2023, when Lee Ji-eun ran in the general election. Video footage shows that after Lee Jae-myung finished campaign support, he tried to walk to a restaurant about 15 minutes away, when Jung Chung-rae, Democratic Party lawmaker and Mapo-eul district party chair, was heard offering a car. This suggests Jung knew the distance to the restaurant was long and had prepared transportation in advance, and that Lee Ji-eun was also aware of it. The restaurant chairman, Lee Ja, is presumed to have been contacted in advance and was waiting.
Lee Ji-eun has said she does not know Lee Ja well, but given that she attended events hosted by Lee Ja several times, that claim is hard to believe. Because she was the one who directly guided Lee Jae-myung, she needs to actively explain the circumstances of the photo and the situation that could lead to the misperception that Lee Jae-myung had a personal relationship with him.
Lee Ji-eun has remained silent about a broadcast that used Lee Jae-myung to dilute the Shincheonji allegations involving Jung Chung-rae. Beyond mere silence, she faces criticism for actively participating in and contributing to this 'diversion' tactic.
This could spread beyond the leadership race into questions of party leadership and trust.
Answers come from the transcript, with the exact spot cited.
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