Democratic Party's 180-Seat Puzzle, the Final Piece is Open Democratic Party

Choi Kang-wook, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the Open Democratic Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 22nd, delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] The integration of the Democratic Party of Korea and the Open Democratic Party has emerged as a hot topic in the political sphere. This follows the disclosure of a phone conversation between President Moon Jae-in and Open Party leader Choi Kang-wook, as well as calls for the merger from potential presidential candidates. There is speculation that the conflicts that arose during the last general election campaign may be resolved, leading to a unification of the two parties.

According to political circles on the 14th, the first to ignite the integration debate after the general election was Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Doo-kwan. In a radio interview the day before, Kim stated, "I believe the Democratic Party and the Open Democratic Party should wash away the grudges from the election and integrate." He added, "Supporters of the Open Democratic Party are a core base of support for the Moon Jae-in administration," noting, "They secured 1.5 million votes in the general election. This significance must be properly interpreted."

Previously, the Open Democratic Party claimed to be the proportional party of the Democratic Party in the last general election, but conflicts arose when the Democratic Party drew a line due to concerns over vote splitting with the Together Citizens' Party. Although there were some conflicts, since their roots are the same and their policy directions are not significantly different, current analyses suggest that the merger of the two parties is a scheduled step.

In particular, the phone call between President Moon and leader Choi served as a catalyst for the integration debate. During the call on the morning of the previous day, President Moon said, "Policies can have priorities. The issue of reforming power institutions is a task that must be accomplished by both the practical implementation of laws passed by the National Assembly and the completion of remaining legislative tasks," adding, "I believe the role of the Open Democratic Party is important." Analysts interpreted President Moon’s emphasis on the Open Party’s role as opening a new phase for the integration of the two parties.

However, leader Choi cautioned against overinterpretation. In a radio interview that morning, Choi said, "There has been no official communication with the Democratic Party, nor has the issue been officially raised, so it is not something the President should take the lead on," adding, "This is going too far."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Within the Democratic Party, responses to the merger remain lukewarm. A Democratic Party official said, "The difference in what can be done with 177 seats versus 180 seats is not that significant," and drew a line on the merger debate by stating, "At present, overcoming COVID-19 and completing reform tasks are more urgent than merging with a minor party."

Additionally, some within the ruling party argue that it might be more effective for the political landscape if outspoken figures like leader Choi become the party’s head and pressure the conservative opposition, rather than becoming just 'one of them' within the Democratic Party.

However, as the presidential election approaches, the integration debate may gain more momentum. Since the Open Democratic Party is filled with pro-Moon (pro-Moon Jae-in) forces, presidential candidates need to embrace them to have an advantage in the election. The '1.5 million votes' the Open Party secured in the general election is a scale that cannot be ignored in the presidential race. The interpretation is that lawmaker Kim’s proactive call for integration was made with this in mind.

From this perspective, there is speculation that the integration debate could become a key agenda item at the Democratic Party’s upcoming party convention, where multiple potential presidential candidates are expected to run. In fact, leader Choi predicted, "During the Democratic Party’s convention, questions such as 'How will you establish relations with the Open Democratic Party?' will naturally arise among candidates within the party," suggesting that party integration could be a major issue at the convention.

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