Conservative parties to launch united party in mid-February

Members of conservative parties participating in a committee for the renovation and unification of the conservatives attend chant their goal of “judging” the liberal Moon Jae-in administration, while announcing their joint policy goals at the National Assembly, Friday. From right in the front are committee leader and former National Assembly Secretary-General Park Heong-joon, New Conservative Party leader Rep. Ha Tea-keung, Liberty Korea Party leader Hwang Kyo-ahn, and Onward for Future 4.0 leader Rep. Lee Un-ju. Yonhap

By Jung Da-min

Conservative parties participating in a move to form a “big tent” to win the April 15 general election are set to launch a united party in mid-February, according to a committee for the renovation and unification of conservatives, Friday.

Launched in early January, the committee is comprised of members from the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), other minors including New Conservative Party and Onward for Future 4.0, and some independent lawmakers. Vowing a strong level of renovation, they have held 10 rounds of meetings since, and disclosed its top 10 tasks which mostly focus on checking President Moon Jae-in's economic and political policies.

The tasks include launching a parliamentary-led investigation or special counsel team to prove “abuse of power” by President Moon and his aides; abolishing Moon's income-led growth policy and instead promoting a private sector-led growth policy; and preventing a possible rift in the South Korea-U.S. alliance while ensuring strong security to counter North Korea's nuclear threat.

“The failure of the existing conservative parties in getting support from the people is due to their failure in reflecting the trend of society (into their policies),” said former National Assembly Secretary-General Park Heong-joon, who is leading the committee. “A party should be renewed as a professional organization by separating party representatives and others holding seats at the National Assembly while making the party's general secretary CEO of the party.”

Leaders of participating parties attended the ceremony, including LKP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, New Conservative Party leader Rep. Ha Tea-keung and Onward for Future 4.0 leader Rep. Lee Un-ju. Attendees also included some iconic figures of former conservative administrations including Kim Byung-joon, former chairman of the main opposition LKP's emergency body, and former Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon.

“The division of the conservatives led to the power seizure by the Moon Jae-in administration,” said LKP leader Hwang said. “If we are divided again, it will go be a sin.”

He called for unity among the participating groups.

“When those who have gone different ways gather again, they may not be satisfied 100 percent,” he said. “There may be shortcomings, but such things can be improved through joint efforts.”

Rep. Ha said, “People will consider only one thing ― whether the unity of the conservatives have a principle of reform. If we keep the principle, we can have a victory against the Moon administration.”

Former lawmakers Moon Byung-ho and Kim Young-hwan, known as close aides to former People's Party leader Ahn Cheol-soo, also attended.

Ahn, who resumed political activity recently, has distanced himself from joining the unification move, saying he would seek “pragmatic and centrist” politics, while the committee has kept courting him to join.