Park Hyung-jun: "Will demand Hwang publicly declare the '3 Principles'... Ahn Cheol-soo's joining is the biggest goal"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] Park Hyung-jun, a professor at Dong-A University who was appointed as the chairman of the Innovation Integration Promotion Committee (Innovative Integration Committee, IIC) formed with the goal of centrist-conservative integration, stated on the 9th, "I will demand that Hwang Kyo-ahn, the leader of the Liberty Korea Party, publicly express (the three principles for conservative reconstruction requested by the New Conservative Party)."

Professor Park said this during a meeting with reporters immediately after accepting the chairmanship at the National Assembly Press Hall in the afternoon. He emphasized that he would promote integration under the three keywords: innovation, expansion, and future.

Earlier that morning, political parties and civic groups held a joint meeting and agreed on the formation of the IIC. At the meeting, Lee Yang-su, a member of the Liberty Korea Party, and Jeong Byeong-guk, a member of the New Conservative Party, also participated. However, the New Conservative Party has reserved its participation, stating that Hwang Kyo-ahn must personally express the 'three principles'?crossing the river of impeachment, moving toward reform conservatism, and building a new house?for their involvement to be possible.

In response, Professor Park said positively, "We will also demand (that Leader Hwang publicly declare this), and I believe he will publicly express the matters agreed upon today."

However, he also addressed the New Conservative Party, saying, "I have had many individual contacts, and there are some differing opinions, and there will be quite a few demands that the New Conservative Party wants to make. But integration involves the large Liberty Korea Party and the relatively smaller New Conservative Party, so the latter cannot fully enforce 100% of its positions and demands. Appropriate compromise is necessary."

Professor Park urged, "There is a basic principle that if the three principles are accepted for the greater cause, they will be unconditionally committed to. I ask that they faithfully adhere to this. Let us overcome the minor differences."

Regarding former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, he said, "(His joining) is the biggest goal of integration," adding, "There is no need to emphasize identity in a narrow sense. In that sense, if the values pursued by the Liberty Korea Party, the New Conservative Party, and former Representative Ahn can be integrated from the perspective of constitutional values, there will be a much greater synergy effect."

When asked whether the IIC is an advisory body or has binding authority, Professor Park said, "Since it is not a legally official organization, it is an advisory body if anything, but it is a body formed with the cause of integration." He added, "The matters decided here will ultimately be implemented through discussions within each party." Regarding the remark by Ha Tae-kyung, the responsible representative of the New Conservative Party, about whether a pledge at the party leadership level is necessary, he said, "If the participants agree on the content, such a process will be followed," adding, "It is not easy to make a declaration without any prior preparation."

He stated that the integration deadline is "likely to be around February 10, by which time the new integrated political force will be almost finalized."

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