Cho Kuk pushes back at Kim Min-seok's merger remarks: 'We never demanded a stake'

Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party's Innovation Policy Research Institute, pushed back Sunday against Democratic Party of Korea leader Kim Min-seok's remarks on alliance and merger talks, calling them "a textbook straw-man attack." The Rebuilding Korea Party also announced regional committee chair appointments and said it plans to field candidates in next year's by-elections.

Writing on Facebook, Cho said that since Kim took over as party leader, the Democratic Party had made no proposal — for a merger or any form of alliance — and that there had therefore been no discussion of, or demand for, any "stake."

The remarks were a direct response to Kim, who had said in reference to potential cooperation with the Rebuilding Korea Party that "the era of dividing things up by stake is over."

Cho also pushed back sharply at Kim's call for "competitiveness-centered alliance and integration." "It reads as: since the Rebuilding Korea Party's 'competitiveness' is weak, we should bow our heads, keep quiet and come in — and they'll take us," Cho said. "That is insulting. Did he really have to use that kind of language toward an allied party that fought shoulder to shoulder with us through the insurrection and the presidential election?"

He added that the Rebuilding Korea Party had been at the forefront on Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, prosecution reform, political reform and real estate reform, and had held the competitive edge throughout. "Going forward, the Rebuilding Korea Party will continue to build on that competitiveness under the leadership of Chairman Shin Jang-sik," he said.

The party also announced regional committee chair appointments Sunday. Secretary-General Jeong Chun-saeng told reporters that Cho had been named chair of the Pyeongtaek regional committee.

Spokesperson Im Myeong-hui was appointed chair of the Gangneung regional committee, where a by-election is scheduled next year. In Seoul, floor leader Kim Jun-hyeong will head the Mapo-gu committee, Secretary-General Jeong the Gangseo-gu committee, Spokesperson Park Byeong-eon the Seodaemun-gu committee, and Strategy Committee Chair Lee Gyu-won the Yeongdeungpo-gu committee.

"We will plant strong roots of self-reliance in our communities," Jeong said. "As our regional chairs extend those roots deeper among residents, the Rebuilding Korea Party will emerge as a stronger and more solid party."

He added that political parties are organizations judged through elections. "We intend to field candidates in the by-elections and re-elections scheduled for next year," he said.