"They Are Attacking Even Jung Chungrae, Rhyu Si-min, and Kim Eo-jun"
"Vote Gap in the Presidential Election Was 0.91%... Expecting a Landslide Is an Illusion"
Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, warned that some extreme actions by factions opposing a merger with the Democratic Party are crossing the line.
On the 7th, through his Facebook account, Cho said, "Since Representative Jung Chungrae proposed a merger, the behavior of some hardline opponents of the merger inside and outside the Democratic Party (including political YouTubers) has been troubling," expressing concern that the atmosphere is undermining the larger political cause.
Cho Kuk, leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, is making remarks about merging with the Democratic Party at the Busan on-site Supreme Council meeting held at the Busan Port Convention Center in Dong-gu, Busan on the 5th. Yonhap News
In his post, Cho wrote, "Think about whether it will really help in the local elections, general elections, and presidential election to drive out those with different views inside the Democratic Party and to trample on the Cho Kuk Innovation Party," stressing, "Even if opinions differ and even if party affiliations differ, we must not forget the greater cause of solidarity and unity." He went on to criticize, "Some hardline opponents of the merger are branding supporters of the merger as enemies and attacking them as if they want to kill them," adding, "They are attacking not only Jung Chungrae, but also Rhyu Si-min and Kim Eo-jun, who have expressed support for the merger."
Cho's message is interpreted as reflecting the situation in which the internal and external debate over the merger has been intensifying since Jung proposed the integration of the Democratic Party and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party on January 22. In particular, while anti-Jung (anti-Cheong) Supreme Council members have been repeatedly voicing open opposition, conflict has been spreading as a document detailing the merger procedures and schedule within the Democratic Party was released to the public.
In relation to this, Cho argued, "Even though there was no secret deal before the merger proposal was made, and no official consultations have been held since, they ridicule and slander me and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party and spread false information." He continued, "There is a fact that many people are forgetting," pointing out, "In the presidential election held immediately after the insurrection, the difference in vote share between Lee Jaemyung plus Kwon Youngguk and Kim Moonsoo plus Lee Junseok was a mere 0.91%." Cho concluded, "Even conservatives acknowledge that President Lee Jaemyung is doing a good job," adding, "However, it is a grave mistake to believe that, intoxicated by the current approval ratings of the president and the Democratic Party, they will easily win the upcoming local elections, general elections, and presidential election."
Within the Democratic Party, growing pains over the push for a merger continue. The anti-Cheong camp is pursuing accountability, claiming that the internal document on the merger is effectively a "secret deal," while the pro-Cheong camp counters that the document was only at the review stage and not the product of any official discussions.
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