Cho Kuk Demands Apology from Democratic Party… Kim Min-seok: “Not a Discussion Premised on Merger”

Cho Kuk, leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, stated that restoring trust between supporters of both parties should be prioritized regarding a merger with the Democratic Party of Korea.

Accordingly, he effectively demanded an apology from Kim Min-seok for the 'color-coded attacks' that the Democratic Party had previously made against Cho Kuk and the Rebuilding Korea Party.

He emphasized that the decision of whether to merge is a matter for party institutions and requires the prior consent of party members, adding that he is currently refraining from commenting on the issue.

He pointed out that at a critical juncture like the current impeachment situation, with even discussion of impeachment proceedings, any untimely remarks could be interpreted differently from their original intent.

This is interpreted as a rejection of a merger method led by the Democratic Party of Korea, and an attempt to devise a merger strategy led by the Rebuilding Korea Party, pressuring the Democratic Party that it will not be able to move beyond its 30% approval rating unless it joins hands with the Rebuilding Korea Party.

This appears to be driven by a thoroughly calculated political strategy, with an underlying intention to neutralize the Democratic Party's existing merger procedures, according to analysis.

The Democratic Party of Korea has made it clear that it is not currently the time to discuss a merger, and that whether it will be a merger or an alliance is not a matter to be decided hastily.

The Democratic Party maintains the principle that any discussion about a merger must proceed through normal procedures and according to party institutions, step by step.