Han Byeong-do, acting leader of the Democratic Party and floor leader, met with Kim Jong-hoon, leader of the Progressive Party, on July 30 and pledged to establish a coalition of five progressive parties: the Democratic Party, Justice Innovation Party, Progressive Party, Basic Income Party, and Social Democratic Party. Following a meeting with Shin Jang-sik, leader of the Justice Innovation Party, on July 28, Han's remarks to Kim suggest that this coalition could signal a revival of discussions on political reform, including the resumption of the Special Committee on Political Reform.
During the meeting, Han stated, "I clearly remember the bold unification with Ulsan Mayor Kim Sang-wook during the local elections, which led to a victory for the progressive camp. The experience of joining hands for a greater cause is the cornerstone and model of solidarity that the democratic progressive camp has shown to the public."
He added, "The Democratic Party and the Progressive Party are partners who have together driven away darkness and sparked a revolution of light. We face a historic mission to overcome the crisis in people's livelihoods, protect the lives of the socially vulnerable, and achieve significant social reform."
Han emphasized, "I hope the Democratic Party and the Progressive Party can complete legislation for people's livelihoods and reforms to provide great hope to the public."
In response, Kim proposed forming a committee to address the 100 trillion won surplus tax, suggesting that it could help restore the lives of citizens and provide concrete plans based on social principles.
After the meeting, Park Ji-hye, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, told reporters, "As Han mentioned in his previous meeting with Shin, he stated that they would create a unit to discuss key tasks centered around the five parties. We agreed to work closely to expedite reform legislation and recovery of livelihoods."
Park also noted, "There was no separate discussion on political reform," but expressed optimism that discussions would progress quickly through the coalition of five parties.
Additionally, Noh Jeong-hyun, chief spokesperson for the Progressive Party, remarked, "National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik announced the formation of a special committee for constitutional reform, and there is a strong demand from various parties for a discussion table to address political reform issues."
Meanwhile, voices for political reform are also emerging within the Democratic Party. Ahead of the party convention on August 17, candidate Song Young-gil has argued for reducing the threshold for parliamentary negotiation groups from the current 20 seats to 10.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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