Kang Deuk-gu: 'Was the DP Member Data Leak Reported to Former Leader Jung Chung-rae?'…Proposes Fact-Finding Team
[Suwon Ilbo = Reporter Cheon Ui-hyeon] Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Kang Deuk-gu (Anyang Manan) has directly raised the responsibility of the former leadership, including former party leader Jung Chung-rae, in connection with the mass leak of personal information following the hacking of a party members' community.
On the evening of the 9th, Rep. Kang said via Facebook, “The DP's front yard has been ransacked,” and stated, “Party members' personal information was leaked last September, and the number of confirmed victims this time alone stands at some 17,000.” He added, “The party failed to even grasp this fact for as long as 11 months.”
Earlier, former Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae said, “I feel deeply responsible and sincerely apologize,” but Rep. Kang said, “This is not something that can end with a single word of apology.” In particular, regarding the party's explanation that it “recognized abnormal signs and conducted an inspection of the management firm but received a response of 'no problems,'” he pointed out the contradiction in the explanation, saying, “It means they knew of the abnormal signs and even carried out an inspection, yet were unaware of the hacking.”
Targeting former leader Jung Chung-rae, Rep. Kang asked, “Was this fact reported to you at the time?” and argued, “If you received the report and did nothing, that is a clear dereliction of duty; and if you did not even receive the report, that is a complete collapse of the party's operating system.” He went on to emphasize, “The hacking of party members' information is a breach of the 'confidentiality' of political freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.”
As a countermeasure, he demanded an emergency convening of the Supreme Council and called for a fact-finding investigation into whether there were additional leaks beyond the confirmed 17,000, the safety of the information of 1.5 million members, whether the leak was reported to former leader Jung Chung-rae, and the follow-up measures. He also proposed forming a fact-finding team once a new leadership is established.
Meanwhile, in connection with this incident, candidates for the Supreme Council election, including Kim Yong and Kim Min-seok, have also raised the responsibility of the former leadership, spreading the debate over accountability within the party.