Cho Kuk Visits Lee Jae-myung After Party Formation
South Korea "Driving Out Rational People"
Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, criticized the meeting between Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Cho Guk, leader of the Cho Guk Innovation Party, on the 5th, where they agreed to form an alliance for the April 10 general election, calling it "an intention to go to the brink."
On the same day, visiting Cheongju, Chungbuk for a support rally, Chairman Han met with 40 women raising children and later spoke to reporters, saying, "Did you believe Leader Lee when he said the Democratic Party would not ally with the Cho Guk Innovation Party?" He pointed out, "They drove out reasonable people and filled those positions with people like Cho Guk, successors of the pro-North Korean party and the Unified Progressive Party."
Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is attending the Emergency Response Committee meeting held at the central party office in Yeouido, Seoul on the 4th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is taking a commemorative photo with Cho Kuk, leader of the Innovation Party, who visited the National Assembly on the 5th to offer congratulations on his inauguration. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@
He said, "There is nothing surprising as it proceeded according to plan," but added, "It is a combination extremely harmful to the People Power Party." This is interpreted as keeping in mind the possibility of the two parties merging after the election.
On the day, at a meeting where Cho, who founded the Cho Guk Innovation Party, visited Leader Lee, the two reportedly agreed to unite their efforts to "judge the Yoon Seok-youl administration." Shin Jang-sik, the first recruited talent of the Cho Guk Innovation Party and a lawyer, also conveyed during a private meeting that Leader Lee said to Cho, "We must win together."
The Cho Guk Innovation Party's strong performance could benefit the Democratic Party as it allows a unified voice on the "judgment of the administration" argument. However, it could also take votes that would otherwise go to the Democratic Party's satellite party and raise concerns about losing moderate voters due to the Cho Guk risk. Seemingly aware of this, Han Min-soo, Democratic Party spokesperson who was present, responded to reporters' questions about whether there was agreement on local constituency or proportional representation election alliances by saying, "There was no specific mention at all."
Meanwhile, on the same day in Cheongju, Chairman Han met with local residents including market merchants and women raising children, appealing for support by saying that the People Power Party is becoming a "one team." At a meeting with merchants, Chairman Han said, "Those who were not nominated accept it and run together. The reason is nothing else. We also have many people with different thoughts, but we really want to win," adding, "To truly win, we must be loved by citizens and show well. What we need to show is not fighting among ourselves but holding hands and moving forward together in one direction." He added, "I think it is our role in the remaining period to make that visible well."
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