DP chief Lee says he will take 'unlimited responsibility' for appointment

Politics

Published: 07 Jun. 2023, 16:12 Updated: 07 Jun. 2023, 16:53

DP chief Lee says he will take 'unlimited responsibility' for appointment

Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung speaks at a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, Wednesday. [NEWS1]

Democratic Party (DP) chief Lee Jae-myung said Wednesday that he will take "unlimited responsibility" following the fiasco over the controversial appointment, and resignation, of the head of the party's innovation committee earlier this week.

On Monday, Lee Rae-kyung, a progressive political activist, was named by DP Chairman Lee as chairman of the party's innovation committee, only to drop out of consideration nine hours later that day following backlash over the appointment.

"It is the duty of the party's chairman to take unlimited responsibility for the results," DP chief Lee told reporters at the National Assembly in western Seoul when asked about the controversy over the immediate resignation of his appointee.

"The party leader must always be held accountable for what happens in the party," he added, without further elaborating on exactly how he would take responsibility.

Lee Rae-kyung, chair of the progressive non-profit media platform The Tomorrow, had come under fire over his past remarks, including claims that the South Korean Navy corvette ROKS Cheonan in March 2010 sank by self-detonation, instead of being torpedoed by the North, as was the conclusion of the South Korean-led multinational investigation. The Cheonan sinking killed 46 sailors.

Lee, seen as being part of the DP faction closely aligned with the party chief, said in a statement Monday that he was stepping down because of his private remarks becoming the subject of a "political witch hunt."

This comes amid criticism from the faction within the DP not aligned with Lee Jae-myung that the chairman is skirting responsibility and not making efforts to properly reform the party.

DP leader Lee was criticized by some members of the party for not taking enough time to verify the appointment of the new innovation committee head, even by other DP leaders.

The DP created a new innovation committee as the party battled several controversies, including allegations that cash envelopes were distributed to lawmakers and party members as bribes ahead of a 2021 national convention held to elect a new party leader, Song Young-gil.

Rep. Kim Nam-kuk, who left the party to become an independent lawmaker, also faced allegations surrounding the 2021 party convention and the recent controversy surrounding his cryptocurrency transactions.

DP chief Lee is currently under indictment on charges of bribery and breach of trust connected to two land development projects in Gyeonggi from his tenure as Seongnam mayor.

DP Rep. Lee Sang-min went as far as telling KBS radio Wednesday that Lee Jae-myung "responded very inappropriately" to the cash envelope allegations and the cryptocurrency scandal surrounding Rep. Kim Nam-guk, his close aide.

Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, the DP's senior spokesman and a former minister of SMEs and startups, also came under fire for making a derogatory remark about Choi Won-il, the former captain of the Cheonan corvette that sank in 2010.

Responding to Choi, who had demanded the resignation of the newly appointed chairman of the innovation committee, Kwon said on Monday, "How dare you can make such bold demand after killing the sailors under your command?"

The remarks came despite survivor testimony that the captain had refused to leave the ship until his crew was rescued first.

Responding to public criticism, Kwon later clarified in a press statement that he "sympathizes" with the bereaved family of the victims and the survivors and meant to say that "a commander must feel responsibility on a different level."

This also drew criticism from People Power Party lawmakers, including party chief Kim Gi-hyeon, who wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday, "Many people are angered by the behavior of the DP leadership."

Kim demanded an apology from DP Chairman Lee and severe punishment for senior spokesman Kwon for his remarks.

Kwon in turn issued an apology for his remarks regarding the Cheonan captain in a press conference on Wednesday.

"As a spokesman of a political party, I convey my deepest regret to all those who may have been hurt, including the bereaved families of the Cheonan sailors, for using inappropriate expressions," Kwon said, bowing his head.

Kwon also clarified that in a previous parliamentary hearing, likely referring to during his time as SMEs minister, he had "stated that the Cheonan incident was the work of North Korea."

Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, a Democratic Party spokesman, bows his head apologizing for his controversial remarks apparently disparaging the former captain of the Cheonan corvette that sank in 2010 earlier this week in a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, Wednesday. [NEWS1]

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]