Geum Tae-seop's New Party 'Saeroun Dang' Confirmed... Jeong Ho-hee, Former Minnochoong Spokesperson, Appointed Executive Committee Chair

The preparatory group for the formation of a new party, "Reflection and Exploration for a Different Future," led by former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop and others, has finalized the name of the organization as the "New Party Preparatory Committee" (abbreviated as Saeroun-dang) and decided to officially begin preparations for the party's establishment. Saeroun-dang appointed former spokesperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), Jeong Ho-hee, as the executive committee chairperson to lead the practical work related to the party formation, without appointing a separate representative.

Reflection and Exploration for a Different Future revealed the name of the new party and other details confirmed at a recent plenary meeting through a press release on the 3rd.

Gwak Dae-jung, spokesperson for Saeroun-dang, explained, "We are preparing to establish the party with a goal of September, and legally we are at the stage of forming a preparatory committee. Until now, it has been called Geum Tae-seop's new party, which tended to focus too much on one individual, so we decided not to appoint a separate representative." Spokesperson Gwak added, "Since we are currently only preparing the practical work at the level of a secretariat, we did not appoint a representative."

Jung Ho-hee, Executive Committee Chair of Saeroun Party / Provided by Saeroun Party

Executive Chairperson Jeong previously served as the secretary-general of the National Transport and Warehouse Workers' Union (Cargo Solidarity) and spokesperson for the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Saeroun-dang explained, "Chairperson Jeong has devoted his life to labor activism, including serving as spokesperson for the KCTU, but following the so-called Cho Kuk incident, he developed a critical awareness of divisive politics and anti-intellectual populism and participated in the Reflection and Exploration forum. He decided to create a new party together with former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop and took on the role of executive chairperson of Saeroun-dang."

Spokesperson Gwak said, "He was appointed because he has long been in charge of administrative tasks and has the capability to execute them."

Chairperson Jeong wrote on social media (SNS), "I was angry about the Cho Kuk incident," and explained, "How could people who once shared progressive values tolerate and defend such hypocrisy, insincerity, and injustice? I felt it was not something that could be resolved alone, so people who shared the same awareness gathered. Thus, individual reflection led to collective introspection."

Regarding his determination as executive chairperson, he stated, "Since I have taken on this responsibility, I will do my best. Whether in politics, business, or activism, the most important asset is people. Each person involved is recognized for their outstanding capabilities in their respective fields, so they will do well. My role is to help them fully demonstrate their skills and to protect them from unwarranted attacks." Chairperson Jeong added, "For now, we are focusing on launching the preparatory committee by September 23, which is 200 days before the general election. From reformist conservatives to rational progressives, the path of the new party is open to everyone."

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