Han Byeong-do, the acting leader of the Democratic Party, and Shin Jang-sik, the new leader of the Justice Innovation Party, reaffirmed their shared goal of completing prosecutorial reform and addressing livelihood issues. The two parties announced their intention to discuss these matters collaboratively to expedite solutions for the public.
During a meeting on the morning of July 28 at the National Assembly, Han and Shin agreed to establish a broader cooperative framework between their parties, emphasizing their shared history as comrades in overcoming the 12.3 emergency martial law and the light revolution to create a government of popular sovereignty.
Han stated, "The Democratic Party and the Innovation Party are comrades who have shared joys and sorrows, and partners in leading social reform." He highlighted the role of the Innovation Party in advancing reform initiatives since the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration.
He urged Shin to work together to complete prosecutorial reform, including the criminal procedure law amendment set for discussion in the National Assembly on July 30. "The Innovation Party is striving toward the same goals of ensuring the success of the Lee Jae-myung administration, completing reform tasks, and restoring livelihoods. Let’s tackle the pressing issues together through a more extensive cooperative framework," he emphasized.
In response, Shin recalled the formation of a joint election campaign committee in 2024 to support Lee Jae-myung's election, expressing his commitment to assist the Democratic Party in achieving prosecutorial reform. He noted, "The criminal procedure law is expected to be presented in the National Assembly, and a filibuster is anticipated. The Innovation Party will stand at the forefront, holding hands until the amendment is passed."
Shin also stressed the urgency of advancing livelihood reforms following prosecutorial reform, suggesting that the leadership of both parties should meet regularly. He expressed confidence that they would work closely together for the success of the government of popular sovereignty and the reform agenda.
Additionally, Han and Shin outlined plans for the participation of five ruling parties (Democratic Party, Innovation Party, Progressive Party, Basic Income Party, and Social Democratic Party) to select and promote key policy initiatives.
After the meeting, Democratic Party spokesperson Park Hae-cheol told reporters, "We will urgently review livelihood policy tasks that need to be addressed, and the five parties will swiftly select and promote key policy initiatives."
However, it was reported that Shin's request for political reform, made to National Assembly Speaker Jo Geun-sik on July 27, was not specifically discussed during the meeting.
Innovation Party spokesperson Im Myung-hee stated, "Both parties significantly agreed on the completion of prosecutorial reform. We agreed to align our efforts until the end for prosecutorial reform and decided to focus on livelihood initiatives afterward. There was no mention of political reform."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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