[Anchor]

Lately, Cho Kuk, head of the innovation policy research institute at the Rebuilding Korea Party, has been keeping up a high-intensity barrage of criticism against President Lee Jae-myung and the Democratic Party. Various interpretations are emerging from within the Democratic Party as to why he is suddenly taking this stance.

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin has the details.

[Reporter]

Yesterday, on September 2, Cho Kuk, head of the innovation policy research institute at the Rebuilding Korea Party, targeted the revised tax law revision plan—which restores the basic deduction for single-home owners who do not reside in their homes to 1.2 billion won—on social media, criticizing that "the Democratic Party has claimed to be a party for the middle class and ordinary citizens, but with this decision, it protected the interests of the top 1%."

The day before yesterday, he pointed out that "if you push ahead with dropping the indictment against President Lee Jae-myung without verifying whether it was a fabricated prosecution, you could face political and legal setbacks." In effect, he has been striking sensitive chords for the ruling bloc day after day.

Harsh reactions poured out from within the Democratic Party, such as, "It's like someone waking up from sleep and talking nonsense out of nowhere."

[Park Sun-won / Supreme Council Member, Democratic Party: This cannot be the language of a comrade. What are you so bitter about? We cannot help but call this ungrateful.]

Director Cho fought back by posting on social media again, writing, "Loyal advice sounds harsh to the ear, but it is beneficial."

Within the Democratic Party, the issue of integrating the pan-ruling camp has also been under discussion since the inauguration of leader Kim Min-seok. When Representative Park Beom-kye, head of the Democratic Party's grand integration promotion task force, made such remarks,

[Park Beom-kye / Democratic Party Representative (YouTube "Kim Eo-jun's Humility is Hard News Factory"): Representative Lee Hae-shik and, well, the current secretary-general of the Rebuilding Korea Party is Representative Jung Chun-seng. At a working-level level, discussions are underway with that person.]

Rebuilding Korea Party Secretary-General Jung Chun-seng showed no hesitation in expressing displeasure, stating, "We have never had any conversations."

Director Cho mentioned that back in January, when then-Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae declared a merger between the Democratic Party and the Rebuilding Korea Party, the pro-Lee Jae-myung faction attacked him.

[Cho Kuk / Head of the Innovation Policy Research Institute, Rebuilding Korea Party: Representative Chung Cheong-rae attacked me with a complete falsehood, claiming there was a secret pact for him to take party power and for me to take the presidency. The person who made those remarks has never apologized.]

The two parties, which used to call each other "friendly allies," are visibly growing apart through the tug-of-war over a potential merger and competition for leadership within the Democratic Party, according to analysis.

(Camera reporting: Oh Young-chun, Kim Yong-woo | Video editing: Won Hyung-hee | Design: Park Chun-woong)