Yeosangyu "Korean Party Must Embrace Moderates... Conservative Grand Unification Impossible as Is"

Representative Yeo Sang-gyu of the Liberty Korea Party is holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 2nd to announce his decision not to run in the 21st general election./Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Yeo Sang-gyu, a Liberty Korea Party lawmaker who declared he would not run for re-election, argued that if the current Hwang Kyo-ahn leadership is solidified, conservative grand unification is impossible. He insisted that to expand the party’s reach by embracing centrists, Leader Hwang must relinquish vested interests.

On the 3rd, Yeo appeared on CBS Radio's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" and pointed out, "The party leadership has not taken a single step toward conservative grand unification."

He explained his reason for not running by saying, "Wouldn't it be better if the election law introducing the mixed-member proportional representation system and the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Agency (HCIA) law were processed through bipartisan negotiations? The Liberty Korea Party opposed these two laws, and even the party leader went on a hunger strike to oppose them, yet the party showed a very powerless stance during the processing of these laws. In this regard, a reshuffle of lawmakers is necessary."

He stated that the reason he advised the party leadership to give up vested interests and move to a non-standing emergency committee system was for conservative grand unification. He said, "For the next general election, everyone already shares the view that conservative grand unification and the unification of conservatives pursuing liberalism are essential to winning the election," but he pointed out that the conservative unification movement is sluggish.

Yeo Sang-gyu, a member of the Liberty Korea Party, bows his head before holding a press conference to announce his decision not to run in the 21st Chungcheon election at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Yeo said, "The party leadership should have direct contact with the targets of unification, such as the Bareunmirae Party members like Yoo Seung-min or Ahn Cheol-soo. To do that, it is necessary to give up the current positions held within the party," and advised, "For conservative grand unification, even former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, who is seen as centrist conservative, should be included to create a synergy effect."

He assessed that former lawmaker Ahn is closer to the centrist conservative side rather than conservative and emphasized that the Liberty Korea Party should show generosity by embracing centrists. Regarding lawmaker Han Sun-kyo, who declared he would not run and stated that "the Hwang leadership should be further solidified," Yeo questioned, "If the Hwang leadership is solidified now, will the Yoo Seung-min or Ahn Cheol-soo factions actively engage in merger or unification?" and said, "A non-standing emergency committee should be established, and its chairman should be an outsider."

Regarding the prosecution’s indictment of 24 Liberty Korea Party lawmakers and 5 Democratic Party lawmakers over the Fast-Track clash the previous day, he said, "It is a conclusion reached by the prosecution after careful consideration," and added, "When it goes to court, either they will be acquitted, or even if not acquitted, it is highly unlikely they will be sentenced to a punishment severe enough to lose their seats."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.