Liberation Day Pardon for Cho Kuk Shakes Up Politics... Democratic Party and Innovation Party to Clash in Honam Next Year

Plans to Field Candidates in All Gwangju and South Jeolla Constituencies
Expanding Influence in Areas with Stronger Vote Shares

On August 11, President Lee Jaemyung included Cho Kuk, former leader of the Innovation Party, in the list of those to be granted special Liberation Day pardons and reinstatements. This move is shaking up the political landscape of Gwangju and South Jeolla ahead of next year’s local elections.

Cho Kuk, former leader of the Innovation Party. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Cho, who had been imprisoned for eight months since December last year on charges related to his child’s college admissions scandal, has now been granted exemption from the remainder of his sentence and reinstatement of his rights. The Innovation Party believes that with the return of Cho?who is seen as the party’s symbol?all legal and political restrictions have been lifted, giving them the momentum to compete with the Democratic Party in next year’s local elections.

In last year’s general election, the Innovation Party outperformed the Democratic United Alliance, the Democratic Party’s satellite party, with 47.72% of the proportional representation vote in Gwangju and 43.97% in South Jeolla (compared to 36.26% and 39.88% for the Democratic United Alliance, respectively). In the Damyang County mayoral by-election, the Innovation Party’s candidate, Jung Chulwon, defeated the Democratic Party candidate by about 900 votes, becoming the party’s first head of a basic local government.

Having previously focused only on proportional representation races, the Innovation Party now plans to field candidates in every constituency across Gwangju and South Jeolla in next year’s local elections. There is also speculation that figures excluded from the Democratic Party’s nomination process may run as Innovation Party candidates. Some preliminary candidates for basic local government positions have already joined the Innovation Party and are preparing for the local elections.

Local political circles expect that the Democratic Party’s monopoly will be broken, leading to direct competition between the two parties not only in metropolitan and basic mayoral races but also in metropolitan and basic council elections. There is a possibility that the slogan “Jimin-Bijo” (Democratic Party for constituencies, Innovation Party for proportional representation), which emerged in the last general election, may reappear.

Seo Wangjin, head of the Innovation Party’s Gwangju City chapter, stated, “After a long winter, spring has come. Cho Kuk, who has endured many hardships, has returned. This was made possible by the people who prevented insurrection and led to impeachment and victory in the presidential election.” He continued, “I pay my respects to President Lee Jaemyung for his decision to restore the honor of those harmed by prosecutorial abuse of power. Now, we will usher in the ‘Innovation Party 2.0 era.’ We will move forward deeper, broader, and stronger.”