The Hyuktongwi Roadmap Released... But the Growing Possibility of 'Hyecheomoye' (Comprehensive)

Yoo Seung-min "Election alliance is also one of the integration options"
Hong Joon-pyo "It can only be reorganized as a come-together after the general election"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] The Innovation Integration Promotion Committee (IIPC), which is pushing for centrist-conservative unification, has finalized the roadmap for launching a unified new party and is working to expand its base. However, a 'gather and scatter' style unification trend focused only on election alliances is being detected in various places. Former Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo is preparing to launch a new party, and former Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo is also distancing himself from the unification efforts. Yoo Seung-min, chairman of the Conservative Reconstruction Committee of the New Conservative Party, which is pursuing party-to-party unification with the Liberty Korea Party, also suggested the possibility of an election alliance.

On the 28th, after holding a press conference condemning the prosecution's personnel appointments at the Blue House, Chairman Yoo told reporters, "The progressive side has often formed election alliances or unified candidates for election alliances, but the conservative side has little experience with that. I think election alliances and candidate unification are naturally options within conservative unification."

The election alliance plan contradicts the ongoing party-to-party unification with the Liberty Korea Party. Earlier, on the 22nd, after visiting the 25th Army Division's New Recruit Training Battalion in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, Chairman Yoo also hinted at the possibility of an election alliance when speaking with reporters. However, when asked which is more realistic between merger and election alliance, he refrained from answering, saying, "I cannot answer that now."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Governor Kim also criticized the unified new party promoted by the Liberty Korea Party as a 'left click' and joined hands with Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon, chairman of the Christian Council of Korea, to launch a new party. On his Facebook account, he said, "I oppose dismantling the Liberty Korea Party and discarding the Taegeukgi flag to unify with Yoo Seung-min's party and launch a left-click new party," adding, "To end Moon Jae-in's pro-communist dictatorship, we must achieve a grand liberal-conservative unification." Former Liberty Korea Party leader Hong Joon-pyo expressed regret over Kim's party launch news, evaluating, "In the end, the general election will be fought as individual battles, and after the election, it will inevitably reorganize through a gather and scatter."

It is also known that some members within the IIPC have expressed opinions related to election alliances. However, the IIPC plans to focus on unification in the form of a new party. On the morning of the same day, IIPC Chairman Park Hyung-joon appeared on BBS Radio's 'Lee Sang-hwi's Morning Channel' and said, "Since many people participate in the IIPC, when individuals express opinions, it tends to be seen as the IIPC's opinion, but we have never discussed resolving this issue (unification) through a campaign committee or election alliance tactics," dismissing the election alliance theory. He added, "The consistent goal is to create a unified new party, and the unified new party aims to gain political symbolism that embraces centrists and conservatives," and said, "It is uncertain whether former Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo will participate, but it is highly likely that some of Ahn's close aides will decide to join."

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