On the 5th, Jeong Cheong-rae, the newly elected leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, chose "passing the conservative opposition" as the first step in his full-scale engagement with opposition parties. That day, Representative Jeong visited the leaders of various progressive parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party, The Progressive Party, the Basic Income Party, and The Social Democratic Party of Korea, but did not meet with the leader of the People Power Party or the Reform Party. This is interpreted as a rejection of even a formal gesture of cooperation, and it is expected that the relationship between the ruling and opposition parties will flow into a situation of extreme confrontation for the time being.
That day, Representative Jeong met with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, followed by meetings with Acting Leader Kim Sun-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party, Kim Jae-yeon of The Progressive Party, Han Chang-min of The Social Democratic Party of Korea, and Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party, to request cooperation on legislation regarding "prosecutorial, media, and judicial reforms."
In particular, Representative Jeong highly evaluated the role of the Rebuilding Korea Party during the previous presidential election, saying, "You played your role as a breaking icebreaker very well." Regarding the sensitive issue of the special pardon for former representative Jo Kuk on Liberation Day, he also mentioned, "I think the president will handle it well on his own."
On the other hand, Representative Jeong did not include the People Power Party and the Reform Party, both of which are opposition parties, in his schedule. There are prevailing interpretations that it is not an accidental exclusion.
That morning, Representative Jeong appeared on the YouTube broadcast "Kim Eo-jun's News Factory" and directed fierce remarks at the People Power Party, saying, "The People Power Party bears joint responsibility for causing a huge emergency martial law situation. There should be a public apology before we can shake hands. Can we really call such people human?" He reiterated that once the investigation results from the special prosecution are released, he will also push for a constitutional judgment against the People Power Party. This clearly indicates that he does not recognize the People Power Party even as a "negotiation target."
Representative Jeong also excluded the Reform Party, led by Lee Jun-seok, from his schedule that day. It is interpreted that this was influenced by Lee's confrontational stance with the ruling party during the previous presidential debate when he raised allegations against the eldest son of President Lee Jae-myung.
As of 5 p.m. that day, the Democratic Party has not contacted the People Power Party or the Reform Party regarding the visit schedule.
A spokesperson for the People Power Party criticized in a call, saying, "It doesn't seem right to show subservience to a ruling party leader who openly reveals hostility towards the opposition while proposing to talk first." He added, "Actions focused solely on a strong support base are something the public will evaluate."
A spokesperson for the Reform Party stated, "I think it may be due to internal circumstances within the Democratic Party that they haven't reached out," indicating that they are awaiting contact.