Won Yu-cheol: "It was Kim Jong-in who told us not to rush the merger... We waited until the emergency committee was launched"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As the United Future Party and the Future Korea Party have decided to merge, Won Yoo-chul, leader of the Future Korea Party, revealed that "it was Kim Jong-in, the emergency committee chairman, who told us not to rush the merger."

On the 28th, Leader Won said on his Facebook, "Chairman Kim said, 'The United Future Party's regional weakness is Honam, and it would be good if the Future Korea Party sincerely approaches Honam for the time being,'" explaining this.

Leader Won explained that shortly after the April 15 general election, he heard this during a lunch meeting with Chairman Kim Jong-in, adding, "During the process of approving the emergency committee chairman, the standing national committee was canceled due to term issues, and the appointment of the emergency committee chairman was repeatedly postponed. I could not disclose this fact and had no choice but to continue the party affairs of the Future Korea Party while waiting for the launch of Kim Jong-in's emergency committee."

He said, "Meanwhile, the elected members of the Future Korea Party and the United Future Party, who are at the center of the 21st National Assembly, decided on an early merger, and I reached a situation where I could not but respect this," adding, "The reason I waited was because I fully agreed and sympathized with Chairman Kim's words, and this fact could not be disclosed until the emergency committee was resolved."

Leader Won emphasized, "Chairman Kim was only concerned about the future of the United Future Party and the Future Korea Party, and was not interested in scheming for standing committee chair positions or forming a negotiating group to receive more government subsidies, and neither was I," adding, "We wanted to break the United Future Party's concentration in the Yeongnam region through the brother party, the Future Korea Party, and advance as a nationwide party to establish ourselves as a ruling party."

He said, "I have expectations that the newly launched Kim Jong-in emergency committee will breathe new life into the merged United Future Party, Future Korea Party, and Future brother party, and become a starting point for creating hope," adding, "We must strive harder to become a hope engine that opens a new future for the Republic of Korea."

Leader Won's disclosure of this behind-the-scenes story appears to be aimed at refuting speculations surrounding the merger, such as the 'separate negotiating group theory.' On the 27th, Joo Ho-young, floor leader, suggested through Facebook that the delay in the merger was due to the Future Korea Party's change in attitude, stating, "Since it is a matter of negotiation, it is difficult to reveal everything, but the Future Korea Party's independent parliamentary negotiating group formation was progressing considerably, and on the other hand, there was a fierce public opinion campaign that 'the Future Korea Party should become the new conservative rallying point.'"

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