Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Cho Kuk to be freed at midnight, sparking widespread speculation over party merger
Cho Kuk, fourth from left in the front row, former leader of the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, who was convicted of academic admissions fraud involving his children and of interfering with a presidential office inspection, greets supporters in front of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Dec. 16, 2024, before beginning his two-year prison sentence. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Bahk Eun-ji
Ex-Justice Minister Cho Kuk to be freed at midnight, sparking speculation over party merger in Korea
Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, who later led the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, is set to be released at midnight on Friday under a special Liberation Day presidential pardon, which will also reinstate his political rights. Having served roughly eight months of his two-year prison sentence, he will leave Seoul Southern Detention Center at midnight, with politicians and analysts eager to hear his first public comments.
Talk of Cho’s political comeback is already fueling intense speculation at the National Assembly and beyond. He is being touted not only as a possible candidate in the mayoral elections in Seoul or Busan, but also as a potential long-term presidential contender within the wider liberal bloc.
According to a party official, he will initially spend time with his family and close associates before formally rejoining the Rebuilding Korea Party. His first official move is expected to be filing the paperwork to reinstate his membership, paving the way for a comeback as party leader. The party has already shortened the term of all its current Supreme Council members and scheduled a regular party convention, likely to be held in November, to elect new leadership.
Many in political circles say that his return could reshape the race in the run-up to the local elections on June 3, 2026. Beyond the high-profile mayoral contests, he is also rumored to be considering a run in the parliamentary by-elections on the same day, potentially in Incheon’s Gyeyang-B district — which was previously represented by President Lee Jae Myung — if the seat becomes available. Such a move could lead to either competition or cooperation with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).
Both parties publicly deny holding any merger talks, but opinion inside each camp is split. Within the DPK, some believe that uniting the liberal camp could help rally votes against the conservative People Power Party, while others fear it might stir up old factional rivalries. Many in Cho’s party favor building up their own strength and broadening their base before entertaining any formal alliance.
The Rebuilding Korea Party has stated that it has never considered merging with the DPK, instead signaling it will compete with the ruling party in next year’s local elections in Korea’s southwest, a region which has traditionally been a DPK stronghold.
On Wednesday, floor leader Seo Wang-jin said that the party’s guiding principle has been to “engage in healthy competition” with the DPK in the southwest while forming a united progressive front against PPP candidates in other regions. In the 2024 general election, the party won the highest share of proportional representation votes in the southwest. In April, it also defeated the DPK in a by-election for county chief in Damyang, South Jeolla Province, marking its first victory in a local government.
Following his release, Cho is expected to hold a brief greeting outside the detention center, after which he will give a formal press conference. Political insiders say the tone and content of his statements will be critical in shaping the next phase of his career.
Some analysts believe that if Cho were to stand in the April 2026 local elections, it could trigger a political realignment within the progressive bloc. However, others caution that controversies from his time as minister could limit his appeal beyond his core supporters.