Veteran Yeo Lawmaker: "Unification is Self-Strengthening"… Urges Merger with People Party

Kwon Young-se, Kim Jong-in Implied "Spitting Out Drinking Water Is Not Something a Noble Person Would Do"

Joo Ho-young, Acting Leader of the People Power Party, is attending the senior members' joint meeting held at the National Assembly on the 14th and delivering a speech. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Senior lawmakers of the People Power Party emphasized the necessity of opposition unity and urged a merger with the People’s Party. There were also voices criticizing former Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in, who targeted the People Power Party, citing severe internal division and discord.

On the 14th, senior lawmakers of the People Power Party held a joint meeting at the National Assembly to discuss the party’s reform direction, integration with the People’s Party, and current issues such as Japan’s Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge.

Jung Jin-seok, a five-term lawmaker of the People Power Party, said, “There has been debate recently on whether self-strengthening should come first or integration should come first, but I believe integration is self-strengthening itself,” adding, “How can building a bigger main opposition party and a stronger opposition force not be self-strengthening?”

He also added, “I have no doubt that Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, will accept the serious will of the people and approach the integration discussions with a sincere attitude.” This is interpreted as actively promoting the ongoing merger with the People’s Party.

After the meeting, Jung also told reporters, “Discussions on the integration between the People Power Party and the People’s Party are progressing very smoothly,” and “There is no deadlock or obstacle.” Joo Ho-young, acting party leader, said, “First, a merger declaration must be made, and once that happens, concrete negotiations will follow, but the main procedures for the merger declaration have not yet been carried out,” adding, “When I met Leader Ahn last week, I heard there were no significant obstacles.”

Park Jin, a four-term lawmaker, also said, “Opposition unity is the people’s top command,” and “The people and our party believe that regime change cannot happen without opposition unity.”

At the meeting, there were also sharp voices criticizing former Chairman Kim, who had publicly criticized People Power Party lawmakers. Kwon Young-se, a four-term lawmaker, strongly pointed out, “Spitting into the water you were drinking and then turning away is not something a respectable person would do.” This was interpreted as referring to former Chairman Kim’s harsh remarks in an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper on the 13th, where he said, “If things continue like this, there is no way to run for the presidential election under the People Power Party. I don’t see any legislative activities by lawmakers according to the party platform and policies.”

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