Cho Kuk Issues 'Ultimatum'... Democratic Party Vows to Announce Merger Stance Soon After General Assembly (Comprehensive)

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, urged the Democratic Party of Korea to present an official position on a merger, saying on the 8th that the party would gather opinions from its members at the general assembly of lawmakers scheduled for the 10th and announce its stance as soon as possible.

On this day, Park Suhyeon, senior spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea, was asked at a press briefing at the National Assembly about Cho's demand and said, "Jung Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, will gather opinions at the (February 10) general assembly of lawmakers and, after reflecting party members' views, will announce the party's position on proceeding with a merger as soon as possible after the meeting."

Earlier that day, through a press briefing held at the National Assembly, Cho stressed, "If there is no official and public response from the Democratic Party of Korea by the 13th, the Innovation Party will consider that there will be no merger."

This demand came after Jung made a surprise proposal for a merger to the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, and conflicts within the Democratic Party of Korea over the issue escalated to the extreme. Some even raised claims targeting the Innovation Party, including allegations of a secret deal.

Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party (right), is paying a courtesy call on Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly on November 26 last year. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

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In response, Cho said, "(After the merger proposal, the Democratic Party of Korea) has entered into a power struggle," and pointedly asked, "Is what is happening inside the Democratic Party of Korea now a productive debate over vision and policy, or is it an internal power struggle?" He went on, "Has there ever been a ruling party that, less than one year after the launch of a new administration, engaged in a power struggle over the party leadership that controls nominations for the general election and over the next presidential nomination?" He added, "In order to win that power struggle, they hurled falsehoods and slander at the Innovation Party, which received the merger proposal as a sister party, and at me as its leader."

He said, "They spread groundless allegations of a secret power-sharing deal and a 'Cho Kuk presidential bid theory,' and even resorted to ideological smears," stressing, "There was no secret deal of any kind, and there was no discussion of any power-sharing." He also urged, "The Democratic Party of Korea must clearly choose the path it will take," adding, "It must clearly decide whether it will form an electoral alliance as a separate party without a merger, whether it will not form an electoral alliance at all, or whether it will compete over values and vision within a single party."

He also called for a meeting with Jung. Cho said, "If the Democratic Party of Korea makes an official decision in favor of a merger on the matters I have requested, there must be a meeting between the party leaders," adding, "At that meeting, we can discuss the next steps."

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