Will a 'Third Zone' Big Tent Really Emerge... Geum Tae-seop "We Must Unite Before the General Election"

Former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min announced that he will decide his position in December, raising the possibility of founding a new party. There is an analysis that this new party could form an alliance with the 'third zone new party' led by former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop and lawmaker Yang Hyang-ja. Former lawmaker Geum emphasized the necessity of a 'big tent,' stating that in order to oppose the two major parties, the scattered third zone forces must unite their strength.

Shin Pyeong, a lawyer also known as "President Yoon Seok-yeol's mentor," predicted on the 18th on CBS's "Kim Hyun-jung's News Show" that "the hearts and souls of former lawmaker Yoo and former party leader Lee Jun-seok have left the People Power Party," and that they will leave the party to establish a new one. He viewed their current criticism of the president and the party as an effort to accumulate 'justification' for creating a new political party.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He also suggested the possibility that they might incorporate the 'third zone' during the process of forming the new party. Lawyer Shin said, "They will create a new party, but the question is how to define its scope," adding, "Will they include former People Power Party Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in, former lawmaker Geum, and lawmaker Yang? We need to watch this carefully."

Speculation that former lawmaker Yoo and former leader Lee will leave the party together to found a new party has been raised in various quarters. While Yoo and Lee have left room for interpretation regarding the possibility of founding a new party, they have expressed their intention not to leave the party for now, urging internal change. However, former lawmaker Geum pointed out that the time for efforts to change the party from within is already too late.

Former lawmaker Geum said, "To unite strength, each person must be respected and waited for as they contemplate and make decisions in their own circumstances," but added, "Whether they are in the People Power Party or the Democratic Party, they will try to properly build their party until the end, but in our judgment, that stage has passed."

He said, "Former leader Lee is the immediate past leader of the People Power Party and is doing things like a reconstruction committee or trying to set the People Power Party straight, but will the People Power Party really stand straight?" He added, "It was the same during the Moon Jae-in administration, and even more so under conservative governments; the ruling party just follows the president's word. This must be broken." He emphasized the need for fundamental change.

Former lawmaker Geum also stressed the need for unity among the forces pushing for the 'third zone new party.' He said, "Whether you call it a big tent, a coalition, or an alliance, what really matters is showing that you can come together and discuss important issues," adding, "To break the entrenched two-party system, everyone must unite their strength."

He said, "There are people in both the Democratic Party and the People Power Party who have similar concerns," adding, "Before the general election, we must show that we can unite first so that we can say the two parties fighting like this is unacceptable. If those founding a new party start with small differences saying 'this person is no good because of this, and we are like this,' then they are just the same as the two parties."