Cho Kuk, head of the Rebuilding Korea Party's Innovation Policy Institute, called on Democratic Party leaders including Chairman Kim Min-seok to stop practicing a "politics of exclusion" that divides the democratic and progressive camp from within.
"For the success of President Lee Jae-myung and the people's sovereignty government, I respectfully ask the Democratic Party," Cho wrote on Facebook on the 23rd. "Democratic Party leaders, including Chairman Kim Min-seok, must make clear that they will not engage in a politics of exclusion that divides the democratic and progressive camp from within. I urge them to instruct the entire party to hold its tongue."
Cho said the Democratic Party continues to stumble even as the president presses ahead with efforts at renewal, citing the president's news conference, the chief of staff's offer to resign and attempts to shift the direction of state affairs. "It is a serious problem that the atmosphere around the president and the Democratic Party diverges this sharply," he said.
"The Lee Jae-myung government was not built by the strength of one faction within the Democratic Party alone," he added. "There is no hope if they keep behaving this way — invoking the cause of 'protecting the president' while in reality pursuing their own interests and those of their faction, and attacking their comrades."
"Have we not seen enough that the politics of exclusion eats away at the president's governing momentum and undermines the power of solidarity and unity?" Cho said. "Bear in mind that the Lee Jae-myung government was not built by the strength of one faction within the Democratic Party alone, and that it cannot succeed on that strength alone."
Turning to the Democratic Party's handling of judicial reform, Cho said the public wants action rather than words. "The ruling party hung banners across the country calling for Chief Justice Cho Hee-de to step down, but has judicial reform been achieved?" he said. "Had they carried out judicial reform — such as the bill to abolish the National Court Administration that our party introduced — instead of hanging banners, the 'Cho Hee-de Supreme Court' would never have been able to attempt to neutralize the president's constitutional authority."
Cho also demanded that the Democratic Party leadership lay out a concrete timetable for reform tasks. "During this holiday period, I hope they look back on the pledges from the last presidential election and the 123 state affairs tasks posted on the presidential office website, and present a 'timetable for reform tasks' to the public as soon as the holiday ends," he said.
On his own party's role, Cho said, "If the Democratic Party presents a concrete timetable for reform tasks, the Rebuilding Korea Party will be a firm ally on that path of reform." He added, "At the same time, if they set the wrong course, we will take on the weighty responsibility of serving as a red team."
