Chin Myeong & Kim Eo-jun: YouTube Cancellation & Legal Action

Passport aftereffects over ‘indictment cancellation deal’
Antipathy toward Kim, who ordered candidates to run in the general election to bow out… Within the party, “Let’s reduce Kim’s influence after the merger fails.”
“Aiming to unite the powerful with conspiracy theories”… The first person to raise the transaction theory is reported to the police

As the controversy over the ‘indictment cancellation deal theory’ spread, suggesting that a high-ranking government official proposed a deal to cancel President Lee Jae-myung’s indictment and maintain the prosecutor’s right to supplementary investigation, the pro-Myung (pro-Lee Jae-myung) faction of the Democratic Party of Korea began to draw a line with YouTuber Kim Eo-jun, who broadcast the content. A high-ranking Blue House official canceled Kim’s YouTube appearance, and pro-Myung faction lawmakers called for strict legal action against Kim’s YouTube at the general meeting of lawmakers. The Democratic Party filed charges of defamation against Jang In-soo, a former MBC reporter who first raised the transaction rumor, but did not file charges against Mr. Kim.

● Kim, amid a sense of crisis, unites the old mainstream with ‘conspiracy theory’

According to the passport on the 12th, it was reported that a high-ranking Blue House official had recently decided to appear on Kim’s YouTube channel, but canceled the schedule. High-ranking officials have begun to distance themselves from Mr. Kim by refraining from appearing on his YouTube channel, which has continued intermittently. A Blue House official said, “Mr. Kim thinks he is the leader of the Democratic Party and seems to be preaching conspiracy theories, even against the President.”

Hard-liners from the Democratic Party who have been advocating for ‘stronger prosecution reform’ also did not appear on Kim’s YouTube channel on this day. Mr. Kim said on the broadcast, “It is difficult for lawmakers who have been leading this issue in the National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee to come out now.” In the pro-Myung community, a ‘blacklist’ of Democratic Party members who frequently appear on Kim’s YouTube channel was circulated, and people said, “You should not vote for these people.”

Ahead of the 2024 general election, the proposal for a merger with the Fatherland Innovation Party became the catalyst for the growing antipathy within the party toward Mr. Kim, who was called ‘King Sang’ and ‘President of Chungjeongno’ as he made candidates to bow to him. Amid suspicions that the merger proposal was “Kim’s design with Chairman Chung Cheong-rae’s plan to secure the next party power in mind,” this is because, despite opposition from the pro-Myung faction, Kim unilaterally sided with the old mainstream of pro-Roh (pro-Roh Moo-hyun) and pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in) groups, including Representative Chung and the leader of the Fatherland Innovation Party. At a time when President Lee was putting the brakes on hard-liners over prosecution reforms such as the law on establishing the Serious Crimes Investigation Office and the Office of Public Prosecution, when Mr. Kim raised a conspiracy theory on YouTube, it was pointed out that Mr. Kim may have been targeting President Lee directly.

In the aftermath of this, not only the pro-Myeong community but also ‘New Lee Jae-myeong’ joined in the anti-debate against Mr. Kim, and as of the 12th, the number of Mr. Kim’s YouTube subscribers was 2.27 million, with 30,000 withdrawing in one month. Among the pro-Myung faction, there is talk that Mr. Kim, who felt a sense of crisis as his influence was weakened due to the failure of the merger, was trying to rally hard-line supporters for prosecution reform through conspiracy theories. One pro-Myung faction figure said, “Mr. Kim always thought that if he pushed hard, everything would work out, but when the merger failed, he felt a sense of crisis and entered into the next power struggle.” He added, “Mr. Kim, who is the embodiment of conspiracy theories, must now be kicked out.”

● The government takes action to file a complaint against the person who first raised the ‘transaction theory’ Democratic Party lawmakers fiercely opposed Mr. Kim at a closed general meeting on the 12th, saying, “By raising irresponsible suspicions that lack public responsibility, he provided an excuse to attack the president.” According to attendees, a first-term lawmaker said, “In Mr. Kim’s Ddanji Ilbo, there is even talk of impeaching the president,” and added, “This is a ridiculous situation where prosecutorial reform has become a religion and is shaking up even the president.” Another lawmaker reportedly said, “We must respond with zero tolerance to Mr. Kim’s YouTube channel, which gave an excuse to attack the cancellation of the indictment with an irresponsible conspiracy theory.” Then, Representative Chung said, “This is something unimaginable in the democratic Lee Jae-myung government,” and said, “The party will respond strongly by mobilizing all possible methods.”

Immediately after Representative Chung’s remarks, the Democratic Party’s National Communication Committee reported Mr. Jang, who first claimed the transaction theory on Mr. Kim’s YouTube channel, to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on charges of defamation by publishing false information about Justice Minister Jeong Sung-ho. However, Mr. Kim and Mr. Kim’s YouTube were excluded from the list of charges. Rep. Kim Hyun said, “We reviewed the law, and Mr. Kim is not subject to charges.”