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Rebuilding Korea Party still rudderless after leadership resigns over sexual misconduct scandal

Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 16:12

Cho Kuk, head of the Institute for Policy Innovation at the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, speaks during an event for party members in Gochang County, North Jeolla, on Aug. 27. [REBUILDING KOREA PARTY]

The minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party is still struggling to form an emergency leadership committee after its entire leadership resigned Sunday over a sexual misconduct scandal within the party.

During a general assembly held for the second consecutive day on Monday, party lawmakers failed to decide on who will chair the emergency committee. The central debate revolved around whether Cho Kuk, founder and head of the party’s policy innovation research division, should take the helm.

The party plans to reconvene as early as Tuesday to try and reach a consensus.

“We understand the need to establish the emergency committee as soon as possible, and will convene the party affairs committee within the week,” Baek Sun-hee, floor spokesperson for the Rebuilding Korea Party, told reporters after Monday’s meeting,

The emergency leadership will be finalized by the party affairs committee after the general assembly reaches an internal consensus.

Baek declined to say whether Cho is a likely candidate, stating only that “all options are on the table.” Cho’s potential appointment has been a contentious issue since Sunday, when the party’s entire leadership stepped down following revelations of sexual misconduct by a party member.

During Sunday’s general assembly, both Cho and the party’s founding preparatory chair were floated as possible candidates. On Monday, discussions continued about whether Cho or an outside figure should lead the party, but none of the current lawmakers were considered for the role.

Splinter liberal Rebuilding Korea Party spokesperson Kang Mi-jung holds a press conference at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Sept. 4 to announce her departure from the party over its handling of a sexual misconduct case. [YONHAP]

A party insider told the JoongAng Ilbo, “Today’s meeting seems to have narrowed down the possibilities somewhat,” adding, “If Cho refuses to take on the role, he will inevitably face criticism for avoiding responsibility once again.”

“Bringing in an outsider might be typical, but in our current situation, all questions will end up being directed at Cho regardless,” added the source. “Since the victim and their representatives are demanding a public stance from him, there’s a growing sense that he has no choice but to lead the emergency committee.”

Others, however, have voiced strong objections. “There are concerns that appointing Cho would do more harm than good,” one Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker said in a phone interview with the JoongAng Ilbo. “Some argue that he’s a valuable asset to the party and should not be exposed to further damage. The victim reportedly harbor resentment toward Cho, and questions have been raised over whether he can lead the recovery process if appointed.”

As the party works to form new leadership and contain the fallout, further criticism emerged Monday from the victim’s side.

“No one asked what the victim wanted,” Kang Mi-sook, an adviser to the party’s women’s committee and a representative for the victim, said on CBS Radio. “That should have been the first step. Instead, the leadership resigned without consulting us, and it felt violent.”

Former Democratic Party Rep. Choe Kang-wook delivers a speech following the final verdict on his case by the Supreme Court in Seoul on Monday. [YONHAP]

Meanwhile, liberal Democratic Party (DP) leader Jung Chung-rae issued an apology during a Supreme Council meeting on Monday.

“I sincerely apologize to the victim and to the public for the distress caused by former director Choe Kang-wook,” he said. “We will work to restore party discipline so that this never happens again.”

Choe announced his resignation on Sunday after facing backlash for dismissing the scandal as “the thoughts of pigs and dogs,” a comment widely condemned as secondary victimization.

Rebuilding Korea Party's scandal first surfaced in April when a party official filed a police complaint accusing a senior party member of sexual harassment.

Some party members accused the leadership of mishandling the matter, including party spokesperson Kang Mi-jung, who departed the party in protest on Thursday.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JO SU-BIN [[email protected]]