Lee Geun-hyung "Open Democratic Party a filial son? I've never had such a child"

Lee Geun-hyung, Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, is heading to the meeting room to attend a closed highest-level committee meeting held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 9th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] Lee Geun-hyung, the Strategic Planning Committee Chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, said on the 30th about the Open Democratic Party, a proportional representation party created by Representative Son Hye-won and former Representative Jeong Bong-ju, "(The Democratic Party) has never had such a child."

Chairman Lee appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that day and said, "The Open Party and we are very different."

Earlier, Son Hye-won, the Open Party's Supreme Council member, said about the relationship with the Democratic Party, "When the party is in trouble, we are filial children who always have the mindset to support our parents (the Democratic Party)."

Chairman Lee pointed out, "Those who founded and lead the Open Party or were recommended as proportional representation candidates of that party are people who applied for nomination in our party but were rejected," adding, "They do not meet our party's standards."

Regarding the possibility of future merger with the Open Party, Chairman Lee said, "The idea of merging itself is not something that can be considered now."

He also said, "(The Democratic Party's) realistic goal is to be the first party," and "it is believed that the first party size must be at least 145 seats to be possible."