(LEAD) DP leader makes public apology over Shincheonji claim amid backlash from lawmakers

Kim Min-seok, leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), offered a public apology on Friday for his earlier claim that members of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious sect, had infiltrated the party to influence the leadership race. The apology followed a private admission at a party meeting earlier in the week, in which Kim acknowledged that an internal investigation found no evidence to support his initial assertion that Shincheonji members had colluded with party lawmakers to sway the outcome of the upcoming Aug. 17 leadership election.

"I once again offer my apologies to party members and to all those who were hurt," Kim stated during a gathering of the party's supreme council. "I raised strong concerns over the interference of religion in politics during the last party convention."

Kim vowed to concentrate on uniting the party and improving the well-being of its constituents, addressing the issue through internal party mechanisms. The main opposition People Power Party (PPP) has called for a joint investigation by both the prosecution and police to examine the allegations.