DPK’s Park Honggeun and Han Junho: Merger ‘Internal Document’ Must Have Been Reported... Talks Should Be Fully Halted

Party Leader Must Explain Document... Emergency Caucus Requested

On the 6th, Park Honggeun, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, said, "I hope that Representative Jeong Cheongrae will make clear, no later than early next week, that he will completely halt talks on the merger before the local elections." As an internal document on the merger circulated within the Democratic Party has become a new flashpoint, opposition within the party to a merger with the Joguk Hyeoksindang has grown even louder.

After a press conference held that morning at the National Assembly press center, Park met with reporters and said, "I am convinced that after Representative Jeong announced the merger, he ordered a working-level review, and that he was briefed by the staff member as soon as the (report) was completed."

He continued, "For something to be described as a simple working-level review, the implementation schedule and method are far too elaborate, and this shows that in-depth internal discussions have already been underway," adding, "For Representative Jeong personally to push through such a grave matter, on which the party’s fate depends, in a one-sided manner is an act that denies democratic procedure."

Park also argued that pushing ahead with a merger ahead of the local elections would be disadvantageous for the Democratic Party. He said, "The other side, the People Power Party, is veering further into the far right and is now being clearly defined as having engaged in insurrection," and added, "President Lee Jaemyung is also delivering many achievements, so it is incomprehensible why we are worsening the situation by making a self-defeating move."

Han Junho, a lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, is demanding the convening of an emergency party meeting at the National Assembly Press Center on the 6th regarding the merger between the Democratic Party of Korea and the Joguk Innovation Party. Yonhap News

At the press conference, Democratic Party lawmaker Han Junho, referring to the internal document on the merger, urged, "In order to discuss this matter responsibly, I formally request that an emergency meeting of party lawmakers be convened."

He said, "Please explain transparently before party members and the public by clarifying under what circumstances the scenario and schedule review document related to the merger push was drawn up, and who was responsible for the judgment and where that responsibility lies," adding, "We cannot help but raise a fundamental question as to whether the ongoing merger talks are not simply a procedure being carried out toward a conclusion that has already been decided."

Han said, "I hope that the attempt to push for a merger before the local elections will be halted at this point in time," and criticized, "We must proactively pursue reform and livelihood-related legislation so that a government that does not meet the public’s expectations, such as the 12·3 Emergency Martial Law or the Yoon Sukyeol administration, never comes into being again, but the timing for this keeps being pushed back."

The Democratic Party drew a line, saying there had been no official reporting or discussion regarding the internal document that contained a concrete timeline for the merger and the composition of the Supreme Council. Representative Jeong said, "There was a kind of mishap in which a document prepared by a working-level staffer, which had neither been reported to any formal meeting nor implemented in discussion, was leaked." Secretary-General Cho Seungrae explained, "A (merger) proposal was made, and as a working-level official it was only natural to make working-level preparations, such as compiling past cases."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.