Democratic-Democratic Alliance Merger... Launch of 22nd National Assembly's Largest Party with 171 Seats

The Democratic Party of Korea and its satellite party, the Democratic United Party, completed the merger process on the 2nd.

On the morning of the same day, the Democratic Party and the Democratic United Party held a joint meeting of the merger commission at the National Assembly, where they submitted and processed the resolution on the merger of the Democratic Party and the Democratic United Party, according to Han Minsu, spokesperson for the Democratic Party. The merger proceeded with the Democratic United Party being absorbed into the Democratic Party. The current leadership of the Democratic Party will take charge.

Spokesperson Han explained, "A special provision was established for the succession of party members to resolve disadvantages related to withdrawal, and the succession party members are currently undergoing the party membership qualification review stage," adding, "Furthermore, the resolution also granted the right to run for party positions to the succession party members."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the joint meeting of the merger commission, "Once the necessary procedures for the merger are completed today, the Democratic Party and the Democratic United Party will become one again."

Leader Lee stated, "The victory of the Democratic Party in this general election is largely a result of the people judging the People Power Party rather than awarding the Democratic Party," and added, "Now that the Democratic United Party has reunited with the Democratic Party, we have become one body and will transform stronger and bigger. We will swiftly carry out the great responsibility entrusted to us by the people."

Yoon Young-duk, co-representative of the Democratic United Party, said, "The Democratic United Party was a political coalition long desired by the history of democracy in the Republic of Korea, and through the general election, we gained the possibility and model of coalition politics," and evaluated, "With this merger, we will embrace the concentrated solidarity of the pro-democracy forces in our society and be reborn as a stronger and more competent party for the people's livelihood."

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Yoon Young-duk and Baek Seung-ah, co-leaders of the Democratic Union, are taking a commemorative photo at the joint meeting of the Democratic Party of Korea and the Democratic Union unification committee held at the National Assembly on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In this general election, the Democratic United Party, which brought together the Democratic Party, New Progressive United Party, Progressive Party, and civil society groups from the broad opposition camp, had 14 members elected. Among them, elected members Han Chang-min and Yong Hye-in will return to the New Progressive United Party, and elected members Jung Hye-kyung and Jeon Jong-duk will return to the Progressive Party. Eight elected members from the Democratic Party and two from the Coalition Politics Civic Meeting will operate under the Democratic Party. Through this, the Democratic Party establishes itself as the largest party in the 22nd National Assembly with a total of 171 seats.

With this merger, Kim Nam-guk, an independent lawmaker who left the Democratic Party last year amid allegations of virtual currency investment, will also rejoin the Democratic Party. Kim left the Democratic Party last year and served as an independent before joining the Democratic United Party ahead of this general election. Recently, Kim claimed on a radio broadcast that "I was not the one who left the party, but was forced out."

Having secured a majority of seats, the Democratic Party can pass bills with its own seats and may aim for the Speaker of the National Assembly and chair positions of major standing committees. However, to designate bills as fast-track legislation and to end filibusters (requiring a quorum of 180 seats), alliances with the Party for National Innovation (12 seats), Reform Party (3 seats), and New Future Party (1 seat) are necessary.

Earlier, before the meeting on the same day, the Democratic Party held a Central Committee meeting on the 30th of last month, where out of 600 central committee members, 417 participated in the vote, and 402 approved the resolution for the merger of the two parties and the designation of the merger commission.

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