Cho Kuk demands Democratic Party explain rejection of candidate unification in Pyeongtaek by-election

Cho Kuk, former leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, has publicly demanded that the Democratic Party of Korea explain why it refused to unify candidates and declared there would be no merger ahead of the Pyeongtaek constituency by-election, held alongside the June 3 local elections.

Cho posted a list titled "10 questions the Democratic Party must answer regarding the Pyeongtaek by-election" on his Facebook page Sunday, challenging the party over its decision to field its own candidate. "Unlike past cases where the Democratic Party chose not to nominate a candidate in constituencies where it bore responsibility for a seat's loss, why did it nominate one this time?" he wrote.

He went on to say, "Before the June 3 election, the Democratic Party proposed a merger but halted it due to internal disagreements. During the campaign, it rejected candidate unification and declared there would be no merger." He then asked: "Is the Rebuilding Korea Party now nothing more than a vote-padding tool for the Democratic Party when it needs numbers in committee votes and plenary sessions?"

Cho stepped down as party leader four days after finishing third in the Pyeongtaek by-election, behind People Power Party candidate Yoo Eui-dong and Democratic Party candidate Kim Yong-nam.

The following is the full text of Cho's social media post.

10 questions the Democratic Party must answer regarding the Pyeongtaek by-election

1. Unlike past cases where the Democratic Party chose not to nominate a candidate in constituencies where it bore responsibility, why did it nominate one this time?

2. Why did candidate Kim Yong-nam (28.77%) receive far fewer votes than Democratic Party mayoral winner Choi Won-yong (59.76%) and the Democratic Party's proportional vote share in Pyeongtaek (50.9%)?

3. Why did candidate Cho (27.24%) receive far more votes than the Rebuilding Korea Party's proportional vote share in Pyeongtaek (7.59%)?

4. Why did roughly half of Democratic Party supporters vote for candidate Cho?

5. If multiple media reports had revealed that candidate Cho effectively owned a lending company and operated it through a proxy — in the same manner as candidate Kim Yong-nam — would the Democratic Party and Kim Yong-nam truly have raised no criticism?

6. Candidate Cho consistently called for candidate unification during the campaign. Why did the Democratic Party and Kim Yong-nam flatly refuse?

7. Did the party's own internal polling overlook the "shy Yoo Eui-dong" factor and lead it to conclude it could win without unification?

8. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ji-won called for candidate Cho to withdraw throughout the campaign. Is the Democratic Party's idea of unification simply unification through the withdrawal of the Rebuilding Korea Party candidate?

9. Will the Democratic Party adopt the same strategy in the 2028 general election — pressuring only Rebuilding Korea Party candidates to withdraw?

10. Before the June 3 election, the Democratic Party proposed a merger but halted it due to internal disagreements. During the campaign, it rejected candidate unification and declared there would be no merger. Is the Rebuilding Korea Party now nothing more than a vote-padding tool for the Democratic Party when it needs numbers in committee votes and plenary sessions?