Three minor parties merge ahead of April elections
SEOUL, Feb. 24 (Yonhap) -- Three minor parties based in the southwestern region merged on Monday to launch a new middle-of-the-road party ahead of the April 15 parliamentary elections.
The leaders of the Bareunmirae Party (BP), the Party for Democracy and Peace (PDP) and the New Alternative Party (NAP) declared their union, vowing to "end the nation's antagonistic politics stemming from dominance by the two major parties."
"The united centrist party takes its first step in the support of the people," they said in a joint statement. "We will end the chain of old ideological politics and regionalism and go hand in hand on a path of the politics of pragmatic and moderate reform," they added.
The new party, whose name is translated as Party for People's Livelihoods, will be the third-largest group in the National Assembly with 20 lawmakers -- nine from the BP, seven from the NAP and four from the PDP.
It will be co-headed by Kim Jong-hwa from the BP, You Sung-yop from the NAP and Park Joo-hyun named by the PDP.
The merger is the latest in a series of realignments of political parties ahead of the April 15 general elections.
Last Monday, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party merged with the New Conservative Party and Forward for Future 4.0 to create the right-wing United Future Party (UFP).
On Sunday, Ahn Cheol-soo, who co-founded the BP in February 2018, launched his own party tentatively named the People's Party in English. Another BP co-founder, Yoo Seong-min, and his allies had joined the UFP.
The new Party for People's Livelihoods has its support base in the liberal strongholds of Gwangju and the two Jeolla provinces. But it is expected to face a tough challenge in the April elections, as President Moon Jae-in and the ruling DP are receiving strong support from voters in the southwestern region.
(END)
-
New Defense Minister Lee takes office, warns of 'stern' response to possible N.K. provocations
-
(LEAD) Yoon taps ex-deputy NSA for spy chief
-
Gov't to significantly increase international flights to meet travel demand
-
Psy returns to Billboard Hot 100 after 7 years with 'That That'
-
(URGENT) Yoon takes oath of office
-
Full text of President Yoon's inaugural address
-
(2nd LD) Yoon offers to revive N.K. economy with 'audacious plan'
-
S. Korea to send condolence delegation to UAE over death of president
-
(News Focus) With Yoon, S. Korea, U.S. to strengthen alliance, deterrence against N. Korea: experts
-
(LEAD) Yoon to take oath of office as S. Korea's new president
-
S. Korean Navy SEAL-turned-YouTuber in Ukraine claims to be injured
-
N. Korea asks China for help in fight against COVID-19: source
-
(LEAD) Crypto investor probed for alleged trespassing at Terraform CEO's home
-
Crypto investor probed over allegedly visiting house of Terraform's CEO
-
(LEAD) N. K. leader issues special order on medicine supply against epidemic: state media