After Painful Struggle, Future United Party Emerges... Reflecting on the 37-Day Journey of the Integration Train

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] The centrist-conservative forces ahead of the general election have officially launched the main opposition party, the 'Mirae Tonghapdang' (United Future Party), with a scale of 115 members. This result was achieved after 37 days of integration discussions following the launch of the Innovation Integration Promotion Committee (Hyuktongwi) on the 9th of last month, enduring growing pains over the two-party talks between the Liberty Korea Party and the New Conservative Party, as well as meetings between the two party leaders. Although the integration was successful for now, there remain sparks of discord such as last-minute noise with civic groups.

The Liberty Korea Party, the New Conservative Party, and the Forward for Future 4.0 (Jeonjin Party) held a joint meeting of the entrusted organizations on the 14th and completed the legal procedures for launching the 'Mirae Tonghapdang.' The party name was confirmed as Mirae Tonghapdang, with the abbreviation Tonghapdang. The inaugural leadership will maintain the existing eight-member leadership system of the Liberty Korea Party, including leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, while adding four members including Governor Won Hee-ryong of Jeju and Lee Jun-seok, the young party vision committee chairman of the New Conservative Party. The official launch date is set for the 17th, and the three parties plan to hold an integration rally on that day.

The integration discussions began in earnest when the Liberty Korea Party, the New Conservative Party, and conservative civic groups such as the National Integration Solidarity agreed to launch the Innovation Integration Promotion Committee (Hyuktongwi) on the 9th of last month. Hyuktongwi Chairman Park Hyung-joon announced that the integration work would start with a deadline around February 10.

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However, before the first meeting of Hyuktongwi could be held, the New Conservative Party demanded an official statement from the Liberty Korea Party regarding the 'three principles of impeachment,' causing the first meeting scheduled for the 13th to be postponed to the 14th. At the last minute, Leader Hwang indirectly expressed acceptance of the three principles, allowing the first meeting to be held on the 14th, but tensions were still evident at the meeting.

Tensions deepened over the party-to-party dialogue between the Liberty Korea Party and the New Conservative Party. The Liberty Korea Party wanted to discuss integration through Hyuktongwi, but the New Conservative Party preferred direct party-to-party talks. Eventually, on the 17th, the New Conservative Party issued a final ultimatum stating, "If the two-party talks do not proceed, we will take the path of self-reliance." Jisang-wook, co-chairman of the New Conservative Party participating in Hyuktongwi, also resigned.

When the Liberty Korea Party agreed to the two-party talks on the 20th after behind-the-scenes discussions, the integration train started moving again. The recruitment of Governor Won of Jeju, who joined the new leadership, also took place at this time. Chairman Park personally visited Jeju Provincial Office on the 21st to request Governor Won's participation, which was eventually secured. Subsequently, figures from the former Ahn Cheol-soo faction also joined, leading to the recruitment of moderate-leaning figures. The original goal of Hyuktongwi was to include former lawmaker Ahn Cheol-soo, who had returned to Korea, but since Ahn drew a line by stating he would not participate in conservative integration, the goal of expanding the moderate base was only a 'half success.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Within the New Conservative Party, as the election alliance plan for integration gained momentum, discussions between the two parties stagnated for a while. Before Lunar New Year, there was speculation about a meeting between Leader Hwang and Yoo Seung-min, chairman of the New Conservative Party's Conservative Reconstruction Committee, but the meeting did not materialize. Even after Hyuktongwi transitioned to the Integration New Party Preparation Committee (Tongjunwi) system, discussions remained stalled until Chairman Yoo declared he would not run and accepted the plan for a newly established merged party, accelerating progress. Around the same time, Leader Hwang, who had been deliberating for nearly a month over running in Jongno, confirmed his candidacy for Jongno.

There were also difficulties over the name of the integrated new party. Initially, names like 'Integrated New Party' and 'Grand Integrated New Party' were agreed upon, but criticism arose that these names only conveyed the meaning of integration without reflecting a reformist conservative identity. This led to disputes over party names such as 'Mirae Tonghap New Party' and 'Mirae Hanguk Tonghap New Party.' The New Conservative Party proposed 'Mirae Tonghap New Party,' while the Liberty Korea Party suggested 'Mirae Hanguk Tonghap New Party,' causing confusion.

Last-minute noise also occurred over leadership and the expansion of the nomination committee, with civic groups that led the establishment of Hyuktongwi resigning. On the 14th, Jang Ki-pyo, co-chairman of Tongjunwi, and five preparation committee members issued a statement saying, "Feeling deeply the incompetence of the preparation committee members who failed to achieve the urgent task of change and innovation, we resign from Tongjunwi," and added, "We insisted that at least half of the leadership and the nomination committee, which will be the face of the integrated new party, should be changed or added, but the Liberty Korea Party, the New Conservative Party, and Kim Hyung-oh, chairman of the nomination committee, avoided fundamental innovation," explaining their reasons for resignation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]