Kim Geun-sik "Ahn Cheol-soo May Join Even After the Formation of the Unified New Party"

Former Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo holds a press conference at the National Assembly on the 29th. On this day, Ahn officially announced his departure from the Bareunmirae Party. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Professor Kim Geun-sik of Gyeongnam National University, classified as part of the 'Ahn Cheol-soo faction,' expressed that former Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo should join a unified new party where centrist and conservative forces gather, rather than founding an independent party.

On the 30th, Professor Kim stated on tbs radio's 'Kim Eo-jun's News Factory,' "I expect (former lawmaker Ahn) will eventually join," expressing this view.

He said, "His resignation from the Bareunmirae Party yesterday was also in that context," adding, "After returning to Korea at the beginning of the year, former lawmaker Ahn had several political options, but one by one, those options are being cut off."

He also viewed independent party founding as not easy. He explained, "Time is physically very tight," adding, "The so-called 'Ahn Cheol-soo wave' during the 20th general election four years ago involved founding a party on February 2, 2016, but the schedule was very tight. Now, founding a party by February 2 is realistically impossible." He added that the options of establishing a centrist new party in the third zone or remodeling a centrist new party based on the Bareunmirae Party have also become difficult.

He saw that former lawmaker Ahn is also paying attention to the Innovation and Integration Promotion Committee (Hyuktongwi). Professor Kim said, "When reports came out that I participated in Hyuktongwi, former lawmaker Ahn issued a press release under the name of his secretary general drawing a line saying 'unrelated,' and when former lawmaker Kim Young-hwan and former Supreme Council member Moon Byung-ho joined Hyuktongwi the day before, he immediately released a statement," adding, "Issuing a statement suggests he is watching closely."

Professor Kim predicted that former lawmaker Ahn will first consolidate forces through the new party founding movement and then join the unified new party. He said, "Consolidating forces is a priority for former lawmaker Ahn. I think he will take steps to found a new party," adding, "If, at the final stage, he judges that it is better to join forces to judge the Moon Jae-in administration, he can join either during the founding process led by Hyuktongwi or even after the party is founded, maintaining the shape of the consolidated forces."

He emphasized that if former lawmaker Ahn joins the integration, he should take on a role equivalent to the election campaign committee chairman. Professor Kim explained, "It is appropriate for him to take a role as the election campaign committee chairman or share in that role," adding, "Then, based on the results and performance of the election process, a party convention will be held again."

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