Cho Seung-rae: Cho Kuk's election result has no bearing on merger talks

By Joo So-hyun, The Herald Business

Democratic Party of Korea Secretary-General Cho Seung-rae said Monday that whether Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk wins or loses his race has "absolutely nothing to do" with merger talks between the two parties. He went on to predict a victory for Democratic Party candidate Kim Yong-nam in the Pyeongtaek-B National Assembly by-election in Gyeonggi Province, where Kim faces off against Cho Kuk.

Speaking at a press briefing at the National Assembly that afternoon, Cho Seung-rae was asked about a potential merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party following the June 3 local elections. "The decision was made to defer internal discussions on this matter until after the local elections — that is where things stand," he said. "It is not a case of the merger being off if he loses and on if he wins."

The Rebuilding Korea Party has maintained that a smooth merger process depends on Cho Kuk winning his seat. At a separate press briefing earlier that morning, Rebuilding Korea Party Secretary-General Lee Hae-min said, "If we consider the political landscape after the local elections, I believe the values of integration and solidarity — which Cho Kuk has built together with the Lee Jae Myung administration — can be realized most quickly if he wins."

Cho Seung-rae pushed back on that framing. "This is a matter to be worked out within our party and between the two parties. I regard that argument as somewhat forced, and I have said so consistently," he said.

With the Rebuilding Korea Party stepping up pressure on Kim Yong-nam by labeling him a "fake Democratic Party candidate," Cho Seung-rae said Kim was holding up well. "I said previously that our candidate Kim Yong-nam is weathering a triple assault — the Rebuilding Korea Party's negative campaign, scrutiny from some media outlets, and attacks from the People Power Party — and is maintaining his support base. That assessment still holds," he said.

He added that Democratic Party supporters in Pyeongtaek were rallying more firmly behind Kim. "If anything, the fact that Kim Yong-nam is the Democratic Party candidate seems to be giving Pyeongtaek's Democratic Party supporters even greater conviction, and we are seeing their support consolidate," he said.

Turning to the North Jeolla gubernatorial race, where independent candidate Kim Kwan-young is in a tight contest with Democratic Party candidate Lee Won-taek, Cho Seung-rae criticized Kim Kwan-young. He said Kim was not President Lee Jae Myung's "No. 1 recruited talent" but rather "No. 1 pardoned" — a reference to a mass amnesty granted when Lee was a presidential candidate.

Former Democratic Party leader Song Young-gil had said that "Kim Kwan-young is also someone President Lee chose," but Cho Seung-rae doubled down in his rejection of that claim, saying Song "made that remark without knowing the full picture."

Cho Seung-rae then drew a direct parallel between the two races. "Just as Kim Yong-nam is the Democratic Party candidate in Pyeongtaek-B, Lee Won-taek is the Democratic Party candidate for North Jeolla governor," he said. "Both have the party's full and unconditional support. Any words or actions that run counter to that are grounds for disciplinary action."

He also took a sharp swipe at Kim Kwan-young over remarks suggesting that Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae would resign if Kim won. "That will never happen, but even if Kim Kwan-young wins, he would face a by-election," Cho Seung-rae said. On the question of Jung's travel schedule to North Jeolla Province, Cho Seung-rae explained that the visit had been replaced with other engagements "because we judged that the situation in North Jeolla is improving."