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Kim Moon-soo, a candidate for leader of the ruling People Power Party, presents his platform during a joint speech event for the PPP’s 6th national convention in Daegu on August 8. / Source: Yonhap News

Kim Moon-soo, a candidate for leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), on August 12 called on fellow contender Cho Kyung-tae to “follow the path he truly wants” and consider leaving the party.

In an emergency statement, Kim criticized Cho for labeling the PPP as an “insurrection party” and branding fellow members as “insurrection sympathizers,” while avoiding a clear answer on whether President Lee Jae-myung’s trial should continue. His remarks referred to Cho’s appearance the previous day before the special counsel investigating the alleged insurrection, where Cho was questioned as a witness.

Kim denounced the ongoing “three special counsel probes” as politically biased investigations unilaterally pushed and appointed by the Lee administration. “They are not based on evidence and due process, but appear to be political shows aimed at swaying public opinion and eliminating political opponents,” he said.

He further argued that these probes inevitably lead to “opposition destruction, political retaliation, and human rights abuses,” and questioned whether the ultimate goal was to eradicate opposition parties entirely and establish a one-party dictatorship.