{
  "id": 18086880,
  "title": "DPK leader's reversal on Shincheonji claim sparks backlash from lawmakers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/dpk-leaders-reversal-on-shincheonji-claim-sparks-backlash-from",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-04T07:42:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/20261104/dpk-leaders-reversal-on-shincheonji-claim-sparks-backlash-from-lawmakers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ruling party leader Kim Min-seok has reversed his earlier claim of collusion between Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers and the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a non-mainstream religious sect. This reversal has caused internal divisions and backlash among the main opposition. The party had intended to release the results of an investigation into allegations that Shincheonji followers joined the party to influence the outcome of the party leadership race, but canceled a briefing scheduled for Tuesday. Kim, instead, apologized during a closed-door meeting with party lawmakers, stating that no evidence was found to support his initial claim of orchestrated registrations between the church and lawmakers not aligned with President Lee Jae Myung. The allegations were first made by Kim in July, ahead of the party's Aug. 17 leadership election, with the remarks widely perceived as targeting former leader Jung Chung-rae.",
  "summary": "Ruling party leader Kim Min-seok's decision to reverse his claim of collusion between party lawmakers and a religious sect has fueled internal divisions and backlash among the main opposition. The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) had planned to announce the results of an internal investigation into allegations that followers of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus, a nonmainstream religious…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "DP leader's reversal on Shincheonji claim sparks backlash from lawmakers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/dp-leaders-reversal-on-shincheonji-claim-sparks-backlash-from",
        "published": "2026-11-04T07:03:25.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}