"Changes Expected Before Seol... Will the Third Zone Big Tent Expand Greatly?"

Saeroun Mirae-Reform New Party "Big Tent Concept Valid"
Kim Yong-nam Also Predicts "Changes Before Lunar New Year Holiday"

The New Future, jointly founded by former members who left the Democratic Party of Korea, has become a 'half-formed party' due to the absence of lawmakers Lee Won-wook and Cho Eung-cheon, causing difficulties in building a big tent in the third zone. As noise emerged during the process of forming a medium tent among the democratic camp, negative views have arisen that integration and alliance with conservative camps such as the Reform New Party will become even more difficult. However, the New Future and the Reform New Party maintain that the big tent concept for the third zone is still valid and are accelerating discussions on alliance to produce meaningful results before the Lunar New Year holiday.

On the 6th, Lee Nak-yeon, co-representative of the New Future, said on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' regarding the absence of lawmakers Lee Won-wook and Cho Eung-cheon, "They notified us the day before the joint founding that they could not participate, but on the morning of the day, Lee Won-wook said he would participate." He added, "At first, there was a tug-of-war over the party name, but in the end, they asked to persuade their supporters, and they agreed to do so. So when they said they would not participate again, I thought it was very strange."

He continued, "We want to start by healing the public's disgust and despair toward two-party politics," emphasizing, "We want to do politics that focuses on the lives of the people and the sustainability of the nation, not politics that is obsessed with the survival of camps or specific individuals and pushes the people's lives aside."

The co-representative said, "It is undeniable that there must be an alternative because the current two parties are not doing well, but when it comes to whether we are doing well enough to meet that need, the answer is no, so I have many concerns." He added, "Nevertheless, someone has to do it, and because there was a strong voice asking me to take on that role, I am responding to it. I will do my best."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some claim that there are disagreements between the New Future and the Reform New Party regarding demands for Lee's candidacy in his constituency and whether former Justice Party vice-chair Baek Bok-ju will join. In response, Lee said, "I will not comment on each issue," remaining reserved. However, he emphasized that the big tent concept is still valid, saying, "The first decision made at the first leadership meeting after forming the New Future was that lawmaker Kim Jong-min would take on the role of unified plenipotentiary representative."

The Reform New Party also predicted progress in alliance talks with the New Future, saying, "There will be some changes before the Lunar New Year holiday." Kim Yong-nam, policy committee chairman of the Reform New Party, said on YTN Radio's 'News King Park Ji-hoon' regarding the absence of lawmakers Lee Won-wook and Cho Eung-cheon from the New Future, "We would welcome them if they came, but for a big deal to be made, there needs to be a role to bring about consensus, a so-called 'broker'." He positively evaluated, "In that sense, it is rather good that the two remain."

He added, "The two have stated that they will stay with principles and common sense and act as a bridge for integration among the New Future, the Reform New Party, and former lawmaker Geum Tae-seop's New Choice." He said, "We are fundamentally in favor of integration, so we think it is also meaningful that the two do not join the New Future but remain in the middle zone to serve as a bridge."