[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The Innovation Integration Promotion Committee (IIPC), which is pushing for the integration of centrists and conservatives, has expressed its determination to launch a unified new party by the 15th of next month. However, despite efforts to recruit leader-level figures, including personally reaching out to Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong with a love call, the expansion of the integration's scope seems to have been hindered as former Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, the key to centrist integration, has declared an independent path.
On the 21st, IIPC Chairman Park Hyung-joon visited Jeju Provincial Office and met with Governor Won Hee-ryong, requesting him to play a central role in conservative integration through the IIPC. He said, "I explained the current situation and my reasons why Governor Won should participate in the unified new party," adding, "I believe we need to bring in leader-level figures who can represent future values." Governor Won avoided giving an immediate answer, saying he would "consider it carefully." Chairman Park urged him to make a decision before the Lunar New Year.
Chairman Park's demand for Governor Won's prompt joining is because the deadline for founding the new party is less than a month away. Park emphasized, "The IIPC will tentatively unite all parties, forces, and individuals by the end of this month and officially promote the unified new party next month," adding, "Physically, the deadline for the unified new party to officially launch as a formal party is around the 15th of next month, so the IIPC's work must be completed by then and transition to the unified new party preparatory committee." This is interpreted as reflecting the view that Governor Won could play an important role in policy development within the preparatory committee. Chairman Park stressed that even if direct participation is impossible, a coalition between the unified new party and Governor Won is possible.
Chairman Park's visit to Governor Won, a potential presidential candidate classified as centrist-conservative, is analyzed as an attempt to expand the centrist base as the integration deadline approaches. On the 20th, the Liberty Korea Party accepted the formation of a two-party consultative body with the New Conservative Party, concretizing the integration picture of the conservative camp, but participation from centrist forces remains minimal. In particular, former lawmaker Ahn, whom the IIPC repeatedly sent love calls to gather centrist forces, drew a line by stating, "I am not interested in conservative integration," disrupting the centrist-conservative integration picture.
Previously, Chairman Park, who urged Ahn to decide to join by citing the 'YS (former President Kim Young-sam)'s three-party integration,' also made remarks on this day with integration with Ahn in mind. When asked by reporters whether he is in contact with other forces besides Governor Won, he said, "I am in contact with several people," adding, "I am also in contact with those who correspond to the so-called centrists, and I hope to see results in that area as well."
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