United Future Party's 'Appeal Operation'... Cutting off Cha Myung-jin and Pleading "Constitutional Amendment Support Line at Risk"

Park Hyung-jun, the Future United Party's election committee chairman, holds an emergency press conference at the National Assembly on the 13th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Lee Ji-eun and Kim Hye-min] The United Future Party, facing rejection from centrist voters due to a series of 'inflammatory remarks scandals,' has expelled Cha Myung-jin, the candidate for Gyeonggi Bucheon-byeong who was the source of the remarks, and has launched a plea campaign saying, "At this rate, we cannot even block the constitutional amendment threshold." As the ruling coalition's expected '180 seats' possibility grows, the party appears to be rallying conservative supporters to the United Future Party.

Park Hyung-joon, co-chairman of the United Future Party's joint election committee, held a press conference on the 13th and appealed for support, saying, "After conducting various internal polls and analyzing the situation over the weekend, even the threshold to block the constitutional amendment is precarious."

Earlier, Yoo Si-min, director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, stated on the YouTube channel 'Alileo' that "including proportional representation seats, the progressive coalition could secure 180 seats." Although the United Future Party opposed this view, recent survey results reportedly indicate that the ruling coalition might indeed win 180 seats. Park said, "Before the weekend, I thought this might be an exaggeration, but after today's strategic assessment, it is not an exaggeration," adding, "The public needs to understand how serious the situation is."

The leadership's diagnosis is that this trend is due to young centrist voters turning away from the United Future Party. Park said, "We reviewed why these events occurred over the past two weeks. There were various issues, but the most serious was the issue with candidate Cha," and added, "Analysis of the situation strongly shows that people in their 30s and 40s, the centrist demographic, are moving away."

Last week, at a candidate debate, Cha caused controversy by using the term 'ㅇㅇㅇ' while claiming that the Sewol ferry victims' families engaged in inappropriate behavior. The party's ethics committee recommended that he leave the party, but Cha interpreted this as permission to continue his campaign. He then caused further controversy by using the term 'ㅇㅇㅇ' again in reference to the campaign banner of his local rival, Kim Sang-hee of the Democratic Party.

The United Future Party leadership appears to have judged that such behavior does not positively influence centrist voters. Park criticized, "Who exactly are we campaigning for? How do you intend to take responsibility for your inappropriate remarks and subsequent actions?" The party plans to convene the leadership as soon as possible to hold an emergency meeting to expedite Cha's expulsion and immediately notify the election commission.

The United Future Party's shift from a 'regime judgment' stance to a 'plea' strategy comes as the election season approaches and the possibility of a crushing defeat in the Seoul metropolitan area increases. On the 10th, Lee Jin-bok, head of the election committee's general headquarters, said, "It seems the public sentiment in the metropolitan area is not moving at all," and rumors circulated that the party had won six seats in Seoul according to internal surveys. In response, the slogan was changed to "Rampage or Check," and party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn apologized with a deep bow over the inflammatory remarks controversy, appealing humbly for support.

Meanwhile, the United Future Party is continuing its campaign tours in battleground areas such as Chungbuk, Daejeon, Sejong, and Gyeonggi. Kim Jong-in, the general election committee chairman, is conducting support campaigns from the morning in Jecheon, Chungju, and Cheongju in Chungbuk, then moving to Seo-gu and Yuseong-gu in Daejeon, Sejong, and Anseong in Gyeonggi. Park Hyung-joon is also making every effort in support campaigns in Hwaseong, Yongin, and Suwon in Gyeonggi. The satellite party, the Future Korea Party's election committee, is holding support campaigns for the United Future Party in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, followed by street greetings at Suwon Station, supporting United Future Party candidates in Suwon and Hanam.