Cho Kuk Questions Democratic Party on Halting Pyeongtaek By-election Unified Candidacy and Merger

Cho Kuk, former leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, has demanded an explanation from the Democratic Party (DP) regarding the reasons behind its rejection of a unified candidacy and halt to merger talks during the Pyeongtaek B parliamentary by-election. On the 21st, Cho posted an article on Facebook titled '10 Questions the Democratic Party Must Answer Regarding the Pyeongtaek B By-election'.

He questioned why the DP nominated a candidate in the Pyeongtaek B constituency, breaking the past practice of not fielding candidates in districts left vacant due to past misconduct. He also asked why candidate Kim Yong-nam did not agree to the calls for a unified candidacy. Furthermore, he raised questions about the strategy for unified candidacy in the 2028 general election and the political standing of the Rebuilding Korea Party.

Cho also inquired about the DP's nomination decision and vote share. He included questions about why his personal vote share (27.24%) far surpassed the Rebuilding Korea Party's proportional vote share in Pyeongtaek City (7.59%), and the possibility that nearly half of DP supporters may have voted for him.

Cho expressed his doubts about the reasons why the DP and candidate Kim Yong-nam rejected a unified candidacy despite emphasizing its necessity during the election campaign. He suggested that the DP might have concluded they could win without a unified candidate based on their internal polling.

Referring to DP lawmaker Park Jie-won's repeated calls for Cho's withdrawal during the election, Cho asked if the DP's definition of a unified candidacy was solely 'a unification through the withdrawal of the Rebuilding Korea Party candidate'. He pointed out that the merger proposal prior to the June 3rd election was halted due to internal disagreements, and that calls for unified candidacy and merger during the election itself were rejected, questioning whether the Rebuilding Korea Party is merely a nominal entity for the DP to secure seats.

Cho's public inquiry is seen as a move to gain leverage in future discussions about reshaping the opposition bloc, beyond merely seeking an explanation for past election processes.