Minsheng and Justice, Criticizing Proportional Satellite Parties... "We Are Different from Major Parties"

Sohn Hak-kyu "Submitting Constitutional Complaint"
Sim Sang-jung "Please End Bad Politics"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] On the 13th, two days before the April 15 general election, the Minsheng Party and the Justice Party launched a full-scale offensive against satellite parties for proportional representation. They focused on highlighting themselves as parties that uphold the principles of electoral reform, differentiating themselves from the two major parties. The Minsheng Party filed a constitutional complaint requesting the cancellation of the registration of the Deobureo Citizen Party and the Future Korea Party.

Son Hak-gyu, the standing election committee chairman of the Minsheng Party, said at the Central Election Countermeasures Committee meeting held at the National Assembly that day, "If the Constitutional Court recognizes the unconstitutionality of satellite parties, the Citizen Party and the Future Korea Party cannot avoid party dissolution judgments," adding, "The votes of the people who voted for satellite parties will instantly become wasted votes. Keeping this in mind, I appeal to vote for the Minsheng Party, number 3 on the ballot, excluding satellite parties."

The Minsheng Party also criticized the People’s Party, which did not field any district candidates, as a trick party. Kim Jeong-hwa, co-chair of the Minsheng Party’s election committee, said on the 11th, "The ballot for proportional representation candidates in this general election is 48.1 cm long. This is because all political forces, including the entrenched two major parties, are desperately creating trick satellite parties," and pointed out, "The People’s Party led by Ahn Cheol-soo, which did not field a single district candidate and exists solely for proportional representation seats, is no exception."

The Justice Party also targeted satellite parties sharply. Sim Sang-jung, leader of the Justice Party, said on the 12th, "The 20th National Assembly stopped 21 times over the past four years due to constant bickering. Politics for the people is impossible under the two-party system where the two major parties engage in extreme confrontational politics," and appealed, "Please cut off the bad politics of the two major parties that put people’s livelihoods aside and create satellite parties to cling to privileges with the hands of the citizens."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, the People’s Party has been intensifying its criticism of the government and ruling party day after day. Leader Ahn said on the 13th, "The current administration’s power-type corruption allegations are at a serious level," and claimed, "When the prosecution investigated the administration’s corruption, the Democratic Party passed the High-ranking Officials’ Crime Investigation Office (HOCI) law." He added, "Officials of the administration openly say that the first investigation target of the HOCI law will be Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. This means the HOCI is the administration’s private army," and sharpened his words, "The Moon Jae-in administration is a five-year administration, not a dynasty. How far do these people intend to go to make the president’s will absolute?"

Leader Ahn also mentioned the past concessions of the Seoul mayor and presidential candidate the day before, saying, "Those who received concessions acted as if they would even give their liver before receiving them, but once they got the concessions, they continuously demanded support without showing gratitude. Instead, they blamed me for the failures." Leader Ahn will conclude his 'Great National Tour' by delivering a message to the nation at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on the afternoon of the 14th.

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