After Democratic Party Leader Kim Min-seok proposed lowering the requirement for forming a parliamentary negotiation group from the current 20 seats to 15 seats as a way to foster solidarity among progressive political forces, the Rebuilding Korea Party pushed back, stating that "returning to the pre-Yushin threshold of 10 seats is common sense and the natural course."

In a press notice today (September 16), the Rebuilding Korea Party stated, "Our party's official platform for normalizing the requirement for a negotiation group is 10 seats."

Jeong Chun-saeng, secretary-general of the Rebuilding Korea Party, also directly criticized Leader Kim's proposal to lower the threshold to 15 seats.

On Facebook, Secretary-General Jeong wrote, "The requirement for a negotiation group has been maintained ever since Park Chung-hee's Yushin regime tightened the threshold from the previous 10 seats to 20 seats to prolong his dictatorship," adding, "If it is to be eased, lowering it to the pre-Yushin 10 seats is in line with that purpose."

She added, "If Leader Kim is sincere about his concern over the vulnerability of progressive forces and the need to address it, the requirement for a negotiation group must be drastically lowered," stating that "lowering it to 15 seats has no reform effect."

Secretary-General Jeong also pointed out that the assignment of National Assembly policy research staff and the allocation of related budgets are centered on negotiation groups.

She questioned, "When the two major parties take more than 90 percent of the state subsidies provided by the National Election Commission and all National Assembly support goes exclusively to the two major parties, how can minority progressive forces build their capabilities?"

She further lamented, "Plenary session schedules and the introduction of agenda items, as well as standing committee schedules and agenda items, are handled exclusively among negotiation groups," noting that "it is a structure where bills and measures that non-negotiation groups want to pursue are difficult to bring to fruition."

The Rebuilding Korea Party also stressed, "We have had no official or unofficial contacts with the Democratic Party leadership regarding political reform, solidarity, and unity," urging Kim that "action, not words, is needed."

The party went on to demand the implementation of the roundtable declaration agreed upon by five progressive political parties, including the Democratic Party, during the last presidential election, as well as the formation of a consultative body on political reform and the convening of a third roundtable meeting.

(Photo: Yonhap News)