Shin Jang-sik, the acting leader of the Justice Innovation Party, announced on July 5 that he will run for the party leadership. He emphasized the need to prioritize self-strengthening and to form alliances to confront internal factions. Following his announcement, floor leader Kim Jun-hyung will temporarily take over the party leadership duties.
During a press conference at the National Assembly, Shin stated, "As we look ahead to the 2028 general elections and the 2030 presidential elections, we need to re-establish a one-team spirit."
He added that to institutionalize alliances, changes to party and election laws could facilitate the implementation of a runoff voting system, relaxed negotiation groups, and open primaries. He noted, "The decision to merge is a matter for the Justice Innovation Party to choose."
Shin also reflected on the June 3 local elections, saying, "We experienced that division leads to failure," and questioned the Democratic Party's approach, asking, "Will they turn every electoral district into a UFC arena?" This comment appears to reference the defeat of former Justice Innovation Party leader Cho Kuk in the June 3 by-election against then-Democratic Party candidate Kim Yong-nam.
However, Shin drew a line regarding any potential name change for the party, stating, "Changing the name is merely a distraction," and emphasized the importance of presenting the party's solid and clear policies, political activities, and new initiatives to the public. Recently, there have been calls within the party to consider a name change.
The Justice Innovation Party's convention is scheduled for July 25 at the Suwon Convention Center.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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