Han Byeong-do, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, met with Kim Jun-hyung, the newly elected floor leader of the Justice Party, on June 19 to reaffirm their commitment to collaboration within the progressive camp. During the meeting, Han emphasized the urgent need to finalize the composition of the 22nd National Assembly and to address key livelihood and reform bills. In response, Kim pledged cooperation to achieve political and judicial reforms.
Han stated, "The Democratic Party and the Justice Party have been political partners through the illegal emergency measures and the establishment of the Lee Jae-myung government. While we have sometimes competed, we share a common goal of restoring democracy and completing reforms."
He added, "Although the new National Assembly Speaker has been elected and negotiations are ongoing, the formation of committees has not yet been completed. I hope we can finalize the committee structure quickly to address urgent legislation and ensure a functioning National Assembly."
Kim responded positively to Han's proposal, saying, "The Justice Party considers the Democratic Party as a comrade and ally. We believe that political reform and the resolution of past conflicts have yet to be fully realized. We will do our utmost to achieve these goals."
However, Kim also addressed the contentious issue of a potential merger with the Democratic Party, stating, "There has been no formal discussion regarding a merger with the Justice Party; it has been a topic of media speculation and debate among Democratic Party members, causing significant distress. Now is not the time for merger discussions, and there is no consensus among our lawmakers."
He further commented on Han's call for swift committee formation, noting, "Due to the lack of negotiation rights, the process has been somewhat haphazard. We hope for a relaxation of the requirements for negotiating groups."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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