From Progressives to Conservatives, Party Formation Drafting Continues
"If Yoo Seung-min and Lee Jun-seok Form Parties, New Parties May Merge"
As the third zone begins discussions on building a big tent to counter the two major parties, attention is focused on their influence in next year's general election. If former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min and others form a new party, they may merge with other new parties and increase their influence.
Currently, former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop's 'New Choice' and Yang Hyang-ja's 'Hope of Korea' have completed their party formations, and the Social Democratic Party, centered on the Justice Party's participation faction, finalized its party name last month.
The Justice Party is currently experiencing internal strife due to a low vote share in the by-election for the Gangseo District Office. The parliamentary group is divided between the faction supporting the leadership of Lee Jeong-mi, who advocated self-strengthening, and the new party faction of the third zone. Additionally, former lawmakers Kim Jong-dae and Park Won-seok are leading a member group of the Alternative New Party.
Cheon Ho-seon, the first leader of the Justice Party and director of the Roh Moo-hyun Foundation, is founding the Social Democratic Party together with former party officials who left the Justice Party. The Social Democratic Party plans to increase its presence in the political arena by achieving political results through coalition governments with other parties, thereby providing progressive-leaning voters with a sense of political efficacy.
Yang Hyang-ja, Member of the Korean Hope Party (left), and Geum Tae-seop, Representative of New Choice. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the 19th, Secretary-General Cheon said in an interview with KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' that he brought up former Justice Party lawmaker Roh Hoe-chan's concept of 'secularization of progressivism,' stating, "There is an analogy that if aliens invade, we might even ally with Japan. This means that if necessary, we are very open to forming coalitions or alliances with the Democratic Party or other parties."
He continued, "By valuing progressivism, we must persuade fellow lawmakers and other parties as much as possible to pass legislation and make people feel efficacy in progressive politics," emphasizing, "Just like coalition governments in Europe, we also need the wisdom to form alliances, fight if rejected, and proceed flexibly."
However, it is still uncertain whether the third zone can be recognized as an alternative party in the two-party system. This is because of a lack of name recognition and the absence of prominent figures.
On the afternoon of the 18th, Oh Shin-hwan, the People Power Party's Seoul Gwangjin-eul district committee chairman, said on YTN Radio's 'Shin Yul's Face-off,' "Former lawmaker Geum's new party and Yang's new party realistically have very weak presence," adding, "Rather, the two-party structure will become more entrenched in next year's general election, so it will be difficult for a third party to emerge."
However, if former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, who raised the 'December split' theory, forms a new party and allies with other new parties, the third zone big tent's influence could grow to some extent. There is also a possibility that candidates who lose nominations from both ruling and opposition parties may join later.
Former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won believes that former People Power Party emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in could lead the coalition among new parties. On the 19th, Park said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' "If former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok and former lawmaker Yoo form new parties and a conservative-centrist new party emerges, former emergency committee chairman Kim Jong-in will play the role of a standing advisor or Godfather," predicting, "Then Geum Tae-seop's and Yang Hyang-ja's new parties will also merge."
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