Cho Kuk Warns, "Solidarity Difficult Amid Low-Level Attacks... Prosecution Reform Must Reflect Public Aspiration" (Comprehensive)

2nd Anniversary Press Conference
Calls for Political Reform Including Medium-Sized Electoral District System
Proposes Alternatives for Prosecution Reform to Reflect the Will of the People

Cho Kuk, leader of the Innovation Party for Justice, issued a warning to the Democratic Party of Korea on the 9th, stating, "The prerequisite for solidarity is respect for the other party. If further low-level attacks occur, solidarity will also be difficult."

Cho Kuk, leader of the Innovation Party, is speaking at the press conference celebrating the 2nd anniversary of the party's founding held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

At a press conference marking the 2nd anniversary of the party's founding, held at the National Assembly that morning, Cho said, "After Democratic Party leader Jeong Cheongrae made a sudden merger proposal, opponents of the merger within the Democratic Party launched indiscriminate attacks against our party."

He also raised an issue with former Democratic Party leader Song Younggil's remark directed at the Innovation Party for Justice: "Instead of gleaning in Honam, go to Yeongnam." Cho argued, "The Innovation Party for Justice candidates are far more qualified than the far-right figures Byeon Heejae and Choi Daejip, whom former leader Song joined hands with in the last general election," and sharply criticized, "Stop the insults and denigration."

He then proposed forming an election alliance on the basis of "competition in Honam and solidarity in non-Honam regions." Cho explained, "There is virtually zero chance of the People Power Party winning in Honam, so there is no problem competing there. This does not interfere at all with the goal of the June local elections, which is to judge and oust anti-democratic and far-right politics. However, in cities like Seoul or Busan, I believe problems will arise if the Innovation Party for Justice and the Democratic Party are divided."

Regarding an official body for alliance discussions between the two parties, he said, "It seems a '2+2 meeting' will be held soon. We must recognize the absolute premise of 'zero for the People Power Party' and also determine how to proceed region by region," adding, "For non-Honam regions, each party's city and provincial branches should be given autonomy to consult with each other."

Regarding his own plans for the local and by-elections, he drew a clear line, saying, "I am fully focused on recruiting and assigning Innovation Party for Justice candidates." Cho stated, "Three weeks have been wasted since leader Jeong's merger proposal," and added, "By the end of March or early April, the recruitment and assignment of local election candidates will be finalized, and then I will decide where I will run."

Jo Guk, leader of the Jo Guk Innovation Party, is speaking at a press conference commemorating the party's second anniversary held at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Cho also announced that he would launch emergency action, demanding political reform such as the introduction of a medium-sized electoral district system. He emphasized, "The unconstitutional electoral system must be corrected immediately," and warned, "If the newly established Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City forms a local council as is, a constitutional issue will arise."

He explained that if the current electoral districts are applied to the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, the 12 districts in Gwangju Metropolitan City would exceed the upper population limit, while the 11 districts in Jeollanam-do would fall below the lower limit. Cho stated, "I will devote all my efforts to realizing the political reforms mandated by the people, such as the introduction of a medium-sized electoral district system, a mixed-member proportional representation system, increasing the number of proportional representatives, and implementing a runoff election system for metropolitan mayors."

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is attending the press conference marking the 2nd anniversary of the party's founding at the National Assembly on the 9th. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On this day, Cho also argued that the government's bill to revise the law establishing a Public Prosecution Office needs to be amended. He said, "There is no reason to transplant the three-tier structure created by the prosecution to demonstrate parity with the courts directly into the Public Prosecution Office," and suggested a two-tier structure consisting of a central Public Prosecution Office and regional Public Prosecution Offices as an alternative. Regarding the Serious Crimes Investigation Office Act, he pointed out, "The inclusion of cybercrime (as an additional category under its jurisdiction) is problematic," adding, "Although it may not be easy to amend, at the very least, revisions are needed within the minimum scope."

When asked about President Lee Jaemyung's recent post on social media, which has been interpreted as expressing concerns about hardline reformists, Cho said, "I fully understand the President's position." However, he added, "Since the final authority for legislation lies with the National Assembly, I believe that while respecting the President's opinion, we must also reflect the will of the people who have longed for prosecution reform."

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