Ahn Cheol-soo's New Party Denied Use of Party Name... "Violation of Freedom to Establish Political Parties"

"Suspected Political Judgment, Not Legal Judgment"

Former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo is holding a press conference at the National Assembly on the 4th. On the same day, former lawmaker Ahn announced the "Working National Assembly Reform Plan." Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] The new party led by Ahn Cheol-soo (tentative name) expressed strong regret on the 6th over the Central Election Commission's refusal to allow the use of the party name, stating, "We strongly regret the illegal decision by the Election Commission that infringes on the freedom to use party names without legal grounds."

Lee Tae-gyu and Kim Kyung-hwan, co-heads of the party establishment planning team, said in a statement on the same day, "We strongly regret the Election Commission's interpretation that it 'considered Article 116, Paragraph 1 of the Constitution, which stipulates equal opportunities for election campaigns,'" adding, "This is an excessive interpretation unrelated to the Constitution that infringes on the freedom to establish political parties."

They said, "The Constitutional Court has ruled that the freedom to use party names is a fundamental right that constitutes the freedom to establish political parties guaranteed by the Constitution," emphasizing, "Therefore, the freedom to use party names can only be restricted by law."

They pointed out, "Our Political Parties Act does not impose any restrictions on the use of party names except for similar party names and party names of parties dissolved due to unconstitutionality," adding, "Nevertheless, the Election Commission not only overturned its previously declared legal interpretation but also made an illegal decision to restrict the use of party names by citing reasons not provided by law."

They stated, "If a politician's name, who advocates a political line or belief, is widely known to symbolize that line or belief or is effective in representing such political direction, then using a party name that includes that name falls within the freedom to use party names, making the Election Commission's decision difficult to accept," and added, "We cannot help but suspect that this is a political judgment rather than a legal one."

They concluded, "The new party has started the work of creating a new party with the goal of changing Korean politics," and said, "Since achieving that goal is more important, we will continue on the path of changing Korean politics by selecting a new party name that can be loved by the people."

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