Justice Party and Progressive Party, Geum Tae-seop and Yang Hyang-ja Criticize New Parties
"Don't Know What Kind of Party They Want" Drawing a Line Against Alliance Theory
As the general election approaches, new third-zone parties aiming to capture the votes of the 'undecided voters' disappointed with the two major parties have been springing up rapidly around former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop and lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja, leading to tensions even within the third zone. The Justice Party and the Progressive Party first criticized Geum Tae-seop's 'Reflection and Exploration' and Yang Hyang-ja's 'Hope of Korea,' saying "their trajectories are different, making it difficult to unite," and "opportunistic collusion," respectively, to which Reflection and Exploration responded with rebuttals.
Lee Jeong-mi, leader of the Justice Party, who is preparing for reestablishment in alliance with the 'third zone' forces, clearly stated on the 27th during CBS's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' that "the Justice Party has consistently walked the path of clearly representing the socially vulnerable, but the previous political careers of the two (Geum Tae-seop and Yang Hyang-ja) have proceeded on a somewhat different side from the path the Justice Party has taken," emphasizing the difficulty of cooperation.
She said, "I don't really know yet what kind of party the two are trying to form," and added, "What they keep talking about is the judgment against the two major parties, but then where do they intend to lead Korean society by judging the two major parties? I don't really know."
On the 25th, when she announced the reestablishment plan, Lee also expressed skepticism, saying, "Looking at their trajectories and the process of choosing parties, I am quite doubtful about working together."
Yoon Hee-sook, leader of the Progressive Party, said in her remarks at the leadership meeting on the 26th, "As the general election approaches next year, opportunistic collusion in the political sphere has intensified," adding, "They present themselves as a 'third zone' new party, but if it becomes a 'mix and match' of those who couldn't enter or receive nominations from the People Power Party and the Democratic Party, the outcome is predictable."
The Reflection and Exploration side reacted strongly. Former lawmaker Geum expressed regret on his social media, saying, "Differences in policy or ideology can be discussed freely, but I cannot accept remarks about 'life trajectories'."
Geum said, "During the Cho Kuk incident, despite receiving harsh criticism, when I felt it was necessary to speak out, I hardly recall hearing supportive remarks from the progressive camp, including the Justice Party."
Reflection and Exploration, through a spokesperson, also criticized the Justice Party, saying, "Leader Lee singled out former lawmaker Geum, who leads 'Reflection and Exploration,' attacking him with 'life trajectory' remarks. It is rude," and added, "The party that neglected the Cho Kuk incident, stood as a mere prop for satellite party tricks, and supported the 'complete prosecution reform' is now attacking an individual's life instead of reflecting and reconsidering, which is absurd."
Regarding the Progressive Party, they said, "Isn't the lawmaker who was elected in the Jeonju by-election with a banner saying 'Thank you, Democratic Party' a Progressive Party lawmaker? Isn't the lawmaker who tried to join the Democratic Party members' group 'Cheoreomhoe' but withdrew due to strong internal and external opposition also a Progressive Party lawmaker?" and warned, "Please stop thinking about colluding with the Democratic Party."
The Justice Party, Progressive Party, Reflection and Exploration, and Hope of Korea are all broad third-zone parties aiming for the votes of the 30% undecided voters disappointed with the two major parties. The Justice Party aims for at least 20 seats, the minimum for a parliamentary negotiation group; Reflection and Exploration targets 30 seats centered in the metropolitan area; and Hope of Korea aims for 50 seats. While there is a possibility of cooperation in the future, they are ultimately competitors vying for a limited 'undecided voter' share.
However, whether the undecided voters will actually support them remains uncertain. Former People Power Party Supreme Council member Kim Yong-tae said on CBS Radio, "Just because there are many undecided voters doesn't mean they will support the third zone. There is a possibility they might eventually return to the two-party system, so the reality is that it is very difficult for the third zone to succeed."
Former Democratic Party Supreme Council member Park Sung-min also said, "You can't bring someone over just based on dislike," adding, "In that sense, unless voters see a clear policy vision or value line properly established, it will be difficult for them to give their votes."
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