Lee Rae-kyung, a veteran political activist selected by Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung to helm the party’s innovation committee, declined the role within nine hours of his appointment due to what he described as “political conflict” between Korea’s two main parties, likening the criticism against his appointment to a “witch hunt.” Lee faced significant backlash for controversial remarks, such as suggesting that the ROKS Cheonan naval ship self-detonated instead of being sunk by a North Korean torpedo, insinuating that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is not a war criminal and claiming that the COVID-19 virus originated in the U.S.

Lee’s decision not to head the DP’s innovation committee comes amid the party’s grappling with numerous scandals involving its members and leaders. DP leader Lee Jae-myung faces bribery charges related to his term as mayor of Seongnam City. His predecessor, Song Young-gil, was accused of bribing party members and lawmakers during his 2021 leadership bid. Additionally, two lawmakers — Youn Kwan-suk and Lee Sung-man — left the DP following allegations of distributing those bribes. Another lawmaker, Kim Nam-kuk, is under investigation for questionable cryptocurrency transactions.