Tired of Yoon Hae-kwan and Bangtan... But the 'Geum Tae-seop-Kim Jong-in' Combination Raises Questions

Movement for a Third-Party New Party Ahead of Next Year's General Election
Discontent with the Two Major Parties... Soil Ready for New Party Formation
Need for a New Political Force That Understands the Spirit of the Times

As the general election approaches next year, the issue of forming a new 'third zone' party has surfaced in the political arena. With growing disappointment toward the two major parties, there is a strong demand for the emergence of an alternative 'third zone.' In particular, the possibility of a new party formation, initiated by former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seon, has gained momentum as former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in has shown willingness to join, creating an atmosphere where the appearance of a new party positioned in a neutral zone between the ruling and opposition parties seems imminent. However, doubts remain about its chances of success. Considering the track record of third parties formed before past elections, the limitations of established figures, and the unavoidable conditions of domestic political parties, the new party led by the 'Kim Jong-in?Geum Tae-seon' duo is viewed with more caution than optimism.

Former Kim Jong-in, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is conversing with Geum Tae-seop, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the "Reflection and Exploration Forum for a Different Future" held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 18th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Conditions for Successful New Party Formation

Professor Cho Gi-sook of Ewha Womans University, who served as the Blue House spokesperson during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, recently emphasized in a phone interview with Asia Economy that "not every newly emerging party succeeds," highlighting four to five conditions necessary for success.

One of these is the 'failure of two-party politics.' More precisely, it is the failure of innovation. She predicted that unless the People Power Party, trapped by Yoon Hae-kwan (core associates of Yoon Seok-yeol), and the Democratic Party, confined within a protective frame, break out of their shells themselves, the chances of success for a newly emerging party would be high. Regarding the current situation where the two major parties are mired in political strife, Professor Cho said, "There has probably never been a time when the chances of a new party's success were this high."

Professor Cho has long hinted at the possibility of a third party emerging. Her diagnosis is that many people have grown weary of two-party politics. Earlier, she sharply criticized the 'watermelon (meaning different inside and outside) hit list' shared by the strong supporters of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party. Last month, on Facebook, she mentioned, "The defecting lawmakers from the protective National Assembly will find it difficult to secure Democratic Party nominations, and even if they do, winning elections will be tough. It would be much more advantageous to build legitimacy by forming a third party."

On the 18th, at the 'Reflection and Search for a Different Future Forum' held at the National Assembly, former lawmaker Geum announced plans to form a new party aiming for 30 seats in the metropolitan area, making the third party emergence that Professor Cho had mentioned seem more tangible. Professor Cho had previously mentioned the possibility of a new party centered on politicians defecting from the two major parties. In fact, the forum was a bipartisan gathering attended by former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in, People Power Party lawmakers Kim Woong, Kim Mi-ae, and Kim Hyeong-dong, Democratic Party's Lee Sang-min from the non-mainstream faction, and Justice Party lawmaker Jang Hye-young.

However, it is still premature to guarantee the success of the new party. In the past, parties like Ahn Cheol-soo's 'People's Party' and Kim Dong-yeon's Gyeonggi Province Governor's 'New Wave' emerged but were eventually absorbed into the People Power Party and the Democratic Party, respectively.

"Kim Jong-in and Geum Tae-seon: A Combination That May or May Not Work?"

Former People Power Party Emergency Response Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in is conversing with former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop at the "Reflection and Exploration Forum for a Different Future" held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul on the 18th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Even if the political environment demands a new party, it does not guarantee its success. The 'spirit of the times,' which the political world persistently calls for, is also essential for a new party's success. For this reason, there are skeptical views about the new party centered on 'Kim Jong-in and Geum Tae-seon,' who first raised the flag for the new party formation. Um Kyung-young, director of the Spirit of the Times Research Institute, pointed out, "For a political party in our country to succeed, it must have representation in terms of region, generation, or specific ideology," adding, "But the Kim Jong-in?Geum Tae-seon party lacks these."

Director Um said, "Ahn Cheol-soo's People's Party secured 38 seats because it had support from the Honam region," and questioned, "What region, ideology, or generation does their new party represent?" He further diagnosed, "If it is merely exchanging pleasantries, it seems insufficient to lead a new party." Professor Cho also viewed the new party centered on 'Kim Jong-in and Geum Tae-seon' skeptically, saying, "Only those who understand the 'spirit of the times' desired by this era will succeed," emphasizing the need for new figures as "they are completely distant from the spirit of the times."

This implies that simply becoming a centrist politician and forming a party due to dislike of Yoon Hae-kwan or 'Gaeddal' (a term for fervent Democratic Party supporters), or because of defection from the mainstream of the ruling or opposition parties, is insufficient to create synergy.

However, if a noteworthy 'new face' emerges to lead the new party, it is predicted that securing a majority of seats in next year's general election could be possible. Regarding the track record of third parties that appeared as alternatives to the two major parties before past elections but were eventually absorbed, Professor Cho expressed hope for the new party, saying, "The political cycle and the political consciousness of the people are completely different now compared to then."

"Politics Has Reached a Dead End, and the People Are Cornered"

There are also opinions emphasizing the 'necessity' of the new party's emergence rather than its 'possibility of success.' The current domestic political situation is described as one that inevitably calls for a new party. Professor Choi Jin-seok, emeritus professor at Sogang University, analyzed, "We need an answer to whether the two major parties can be responsible for our future," adding, "But currently, the two parties maintain a hostile symbiosis within a confrontational structure, preventing the state from functioning efficiently."

Professor Choi said, "Our politics has long been trapped in camps," and "Consciousness has not escaped this framework either, and politicians are exploiting this. Politics has reached a dead end, and the people are cornered." He continued, "Because the two-party structure has lasted so long, there is a lack of courage or awareness to break free from the solidified camps, so now, rather than debating the possibility of (the new party's) success, whether to try or not is what matters."

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