[Yonhap]
[Yonhap]

Cho Kuk, the former leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, said Wednesday that the party's upcoming national convention must serve as "a turning point that delivers a meaningful jolt to the entire progressive bloc."

Cho posted the message on his social media account, writing that he was sharing his thoughts "with a heartfelt plea, as the founding architect and former party leader, ahead of the national convention."

He said the political landscape had shifted sharply since the June election, with what had been a firm Democratic Party advantage giving way to a razor-thin contest between the two camps. He also warned that divisive rhetoric — including the use of derogatory labels — had opened fractures within the democratic-progressive bloc.

Cho criticized what he called the sidelining of coalition politics built around shared vision and values, and said the pressing task of addressing polarization and inequality had failed to take center stage. Despite a record-breaking Kospi rally driven by a semiconductor boom, he said, many economic actors were being left behind.

Expressing a sense of urgency, he warned that the support base of the democratic-progressive bloc was shrinking and that warning lights had come on ahead of the 2028 general election and the 2030 presidential election. "This convention must become a turning point that delivers a meaningful jolt not just to the Rebuilding Korea Party but to the entire democratic-progressive bloc," he said.

He also called on the party to humbly reflect on its shortcomings, engage in vigorous debate over the direction of the country and the expansion of its future agenda, and report the results to the public. He said the convention should lay the groundwork for the party to become one that charts a path of "bold reform and a decisive strengthening of people's livelihoods."

Cho was particularly emphatic that the convention must not become an exercise in "protecting Cho Kuk."

"This convention must never be seen as — nor allowed to become — an election to choose 'Cho Kuk's proxy or spokesperson,' or a 'protect Cho Kuk' election," he wrote, urging that such language not surface at all during the convention process.

"Please build a leadership that can freshly establish the Rebuilding Korea Party's vision, values and policies, and dedicate itself to winning the 2028 general election and ushering in the fifth democratic government," he said. He added that the party needed a leadership capable of gathering all its strength with humility, and of fostering unity and cohesion.

He went on to say that he would fulfill his own responsibilities as a rank-and-file sovereign party member and once again forge ahead on "a path where no path exists."

Meanwhile, the Rebuilding Korea Party is set to elect its party leader and supreme council members at its national convention on July 25.


ygmoon@heraldcorp.com