Kim Min-seok Accelerates Merger Talks with Cho Kuk Innovation Party

Kim Min-seok, chairman of the Democratic Party, has requested the Cho Kuk Innovation Party to establish an official dialogue channel, formally initiating discussions on broader conservative coalition and the possibility of merger.

According to political circles on the 31st, Chairman Kim stated at a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly regarding relations with the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, "We have already declared that coalition is unconditional in broad terms," and "Whether the method becomes a merger or not is unknown to anyone, but the principle is that we will cooperate under any circumstances."

He said the decision on merger would be left to the judgment of both parties' members. Chairman Kim stated, "We will proceed through democratic procedures while confirming the overwhelming will of members of both parties," and requested the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, "I would appreciate it if you could quickly designate a channel for us to talk together."

On the 24th, Chairman Kim established a party-chairman-backed integrated promotion task force and assigned Rep. Park Beom-kye (Daejeon Seo-gu District) to oversee discussions on integration, coalition, and expansion. The task force also separately established a division for coalition with the Cho Kuk Innovation Party led by Rep. Lee Hae-shik (Seoul Gangdong-gu District).

This can be seen as converting the conditional integration principle Chairman Kim presented during the party leadership race into official party procedures. During his candidacy, Chairman Kim stated that a merger could be pursued if conditions were met: consent from Democratic Party members and Cho Kuk Innovation Party members, and maintaining the Democratic Party's name and identity.

Unlike candidate Jung Cheong-rae, who advocated for early merger with the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, Chairman Kim demanded speed control, emphasizing that sufficient discussion and member consent should come first. Even after taking office, he has not treated merger as a done deal, but by establishing a dedicated organization and requesting official negotiations, he has entered the implementation phase of integration and coalition pledges.

Government personnel appointments have also aligned with broader conservative coalition movements. President Lee appointed Rep. Lee Hae-min of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party as presidential chief of staff for AI future planning, and as the Democratic Party has formalized inter-party coalition and merger possibilities, the party and government appear to be coordinating their steps in expanding the broader conservative coalition.

Chairman Kim also evaluated the reshuffle on the previous day as "the beginning of a very important shift in national policy direction," stating, "With this reshuffle as an opportunity, I will accelerate coalition efforts significantly."

The Cho Kuk Innovation Party has left the possibility of coalition open while resisting the Democratic Party-led integration approach. This is because the Democratic Party established a "Cho Kuk Innovation Party coalition division" within the integrated promotion task force without prior consultation and linked the issue of easing requirements for negotiation group status to merger.

Shin Jang-sik, chairman of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, stated on radio on the 26th that he first learned about the establishment of the coalition division "from the media," saying, "When I talked about reform, it sounded like they wanted to haggle, and honestly, I was uncomfortable."

Chairman Shin stated, "We will compete on reform, cooperate on people's livelihoods, and coordinate seamlessly in protecting democracy," while emphasizing, "Before that, measures to restore trust are necessary." Drawing a line against the possibility of Democratic Party-led absorption merger, he said, "If it's going to be that kind of arrangement, I have no intention of participating in backroom coalition dealings."

전시언 기자 yourside@news-s.kr