Agreement Within This Month vs. Extension of Leadership Term... Tonghap and Hanguk Have Different Dreams

Joo Ho-young "We Are Ready"... Signaling for Merger
Won Yoo-chul "Party Unification Principles"... Emphasizing Procedures

Joo Ho-young, floor leader of the United Future Party, and Won Yoo-chul, leader of the Mirae Korea Party, hold a press conference related to the merger at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Kim Hyemin and Im Chunhan] The United Future Party and its proportional satellite party, the Future Korea Party, have resolved to merge, but they are at odds over the method and timing. While the United Future Party is emphasizing a merger within this month, the Future Korea Party is experiencing difficulties as it keeps open the possibility of independent actions such as extending its term.

Since the resolution for a "prompt merger" on the 14th, there has been a temperature difference in the actions of the two parties. The party in a hurry is the United Future Party. The United Future Party is actively refuting the Future Korea Party's claim that a merger within this month is impossible and is pressuring the Future Korea Party to make a decision. On the 15th, Floor Leader Joo Ho-young told reporters, regarding the Future Korea Party's claim that the merger is delayed because of the United Future Party, "We only need to hold the national committee. The practical preparations are almost complete," adding, "Their (Future Korea Party's) will is important."

Floor Leader Joo's lunch meeting with the Future Korea Party's proportional representative electees on the 15th and leaving seats for the Future Korea Party in the United Future Party's floor leadership team are interpreted as showing a willingness for a prompt merger. This is intended to preemptively prevent disputes over party positions and shares during the merger process.

However, Future Korea Party leader Won Yoo-chul is emphasizing procedures while keeping open the possibility of extending his term. When the United Future Party blocked the logic that "merging within this month" is difficult due to their circumstances, Won began to stress procedures and formalities. Won said, "What remains in my mind are the 20 current lawmakers who made personal sacrifices and dedicated decisions for the Future Korea Party's victory, the party's treasures?the electees?and the secretariat staff," defining the nature of the merger as a "party-to-party merger," not an absorption merger.

Regarding this, there is analysis inside and outside the United Future Party that Leader Won might be demanding treatment not only for the proportional representative electees but also for the incumbent lawmakers who moved from the United Future Party to the Future Korea Party. Except for Future Korea Party lawmaker Jung Woon-cheon, who was re-elected as a proportional representative, the other 19 incumbent lawmakers will lose their standing in the 21st National Assembly. They are demanding a timing and form of the merger that can maximize its effect for their future political activities. Within the Future Korea Party, there are even open talks that the party name should be "Future Korea Party" upon merger.

If the Future Korea Party judges that a merger within this month is difficult, it plans to pass a resolution on the 26th to extend Leader Won's term by three months. Speeding up merger discussions is crucial for the United Future Party. The United Future Party and the Future Korea Party will form a merger task force and begin full-scale merger discussions starting this week. From the United Future Party, lawmakers Kim Sang-hoon and Lee Yang-su will participate, and from the Future Korea Party, Secretary-General Yeom Dong-ryeol and electee Choi Seung-jae will join.

Because of this, there is also an interpretation in political circles that the Future Korea Party might eventually pursue independent forces because their demands were not met. The Future Korea Party, which won 19 seats in this general election, can secure negotiation group status by adding just one more seat. If the Future Korea Party becomes a negotiation group, it is expected to participate in the organization of the 21st National Assembly and future bill review negotiations. They can also receive the general subsidy allocated to negotiation groups. Leader Won emphasized on his Facebook on the 18th, "The Future Korea Party ranked first among 35 proportional parties in this general election."

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