As Democratic Party and Rebuilding Korea Party Discuss Merger, Democrats Bring Out Factional Math First
As the Democratic Party of Korea and the Cho Kuk Innovation Party feud over a potential merger, both parties are raising their voices with different justifications ahead of the 2028 general election. The merger talks surfaced in January when former Democratic Party leader Chung Chung-rae abruptly proposed that the two parties "run as one team for the shared goal of making the Lee Jae-myung government a success." When backlash mounted within the Democratic Party over what was seen as a unilateral move, Chung retracted the proposal after just 19 days, suggesting talks resume after the local elections.
Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok acknowledged the need for a merger with the Innovation Party but added that "the issue of dual party membership should be sorted out quickly." Innovation Party spokesperson Park Byung-eon fired back that the party had "never asked for a merger first," and that making the resolution of dual membership a precondition cast doubt on whether the Democrats even had the will to merge.
The Democratic Party's posture did not stop there. Leader Kim signaled his intent to loosen the requirements for recognition as a negotiating bloc, proposing a threshold of 15 seats — above the Innovation Party's 12. At a Pyeongtaek regional committee event in Gyeonggi Province on the 12th, he told the Innovation Party that "the era of dividing up shares is over." This is the backdrop to the Innovation Party's pushback. Meanwhile, Cho Kuk, head of the Innovation Policy Research Institute, has cast himself as a "red team," continuing his criticism of the special prosecutor bill for fabricated prosecutions introduced by the Democratic Party as well as the government's housing and tax reform policies.
Political analysts interpreted both parties' maneuvers as aimed at the 2028 general election. Current affairs commentator Park Sang-byung said in a phone call with The Hankyoreh on the 21st that "the Innovation Party, unable to survive the election on its own, will inevitably have to merge with the Democratic Party," adding that "it is trying to maximize its presence within the broader Democratic camp by shaking up Leader Kim to raise its price." Jeong Han-wool, head of the Korea Institute, likewise noted that "the Innovation Party is seeking to boost its negotiating power with the goal of extracting as large a share as possible, pressuring the Democrats to recognize its raison d'être."
Meanwhile, the prevailing analysis is that skepticism about a merger underlies the Democratic Party's behavior. Son Ho-chul, professor emeritus at Sogang University, said, "The Democratic Party's strategy is to target centrist voters, and a merger with the Innovation Party would not help," adding that "from Leader Kim's perspective, there may also be an element of checking Director Cho, who could become a rival." Shin Yul, a professor at Myongji University, said, "It ultimately comes down to factional conflict between the pro-Moon and pro-Myung factions. From the perspective of Kim, who belongs to the pro-Myung camp, he is opposed to the merger because he believes that if the Innovation Party joins, it would only increase the number of pro-Moon figures within the Democratic Party."
Some analysts said the merger's fate hinges on the fortunes of the People Power Party. Commentator Park said, "The two parties will inevitably merge before the general election," adding that "the Democratic Party, too, cannot afford to hand the People Power Party seats by default, as happened in the Pyeongtaek by-election in Gyeonggi Province." Professor Son also said, "If the two parties are driven into a crisis ahead of the general election, the need for integration will arise," adding that "the key is how strongly the People Power Party surges."
