Jung Cheong-rae, a candidate for the Democratic Party's upcoming convention, announced on July 20 that he will conduct a poll among all party members regarding a merger with the Justice Party. This initiative aims to bring the merger into public discussion.
During his appearance on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus,' Jung stated, "This will help us understand how strongly our members desire the merger."
He added, "Learning from our previous failure, we will follow procedures this time, including conducting a poll. It would also be beneficial for the Justice Party to conduct a poll."
Jung emphasized that while a formal vote among all party members is currently required by law when entering a merger, it is merely a reference for opinions. He believes that conducting a poll among all members would be more meaningful.
Addressing criticisms that his previous proposal for a merger with the Justice Party was a unilateral decision, Jung dismissed the claims, stating, "During my time as party leader, everything was coordinated as a team with the government and the Blue House."
He also clarified the controversy surrounding his proposal to the Justice Party, which was made without the knowledge of the party's highest committee members, saying, "I did not declare a merger. If someone makes a proposal, we can discuss and combine our opinions. The merger was halted only after facing opposition following the proposal."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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