The People Power Party and the Reform Party are strengthening their alliance over the Unification Church special counsel (independent counsel) bill and the second comprehensive special counsel bill. With the conservative opposition bloc tightening its joint offensive against the ruling camp through special counsels, whether that cooperation will continue through the June local elections is emerging as a focus in politics.
According to the political community on the 16th, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok began a hunger strike on the 15th, demanding "dual special counsels" over alleged Unification Church political funds and alleged nomination bribes. Reform Party floor leader Cheon Ha-ram conducted an all-night filibuster for more than 18 hours opposing the second comprehensive special counsel bill.
When Cheon's filibuster ended that day, Jang, who had been staging a hunger strike sit-in at the National Assembly's Rotunda Hall, entered the plenary chamber to encourage Cheon. Cheon then went to Jang's hunger strike site, and the two hugged. At the scene, Jang said, "Please give a big round of applause to Representative Cheon Ha-ram," and Cheon replied, "We will continue to cooperate and join forces."
The conservative opposition alliance came into focus starting on the 13th, just before the second comprehensive special counsel bill was to be introduced to the plenary session. At the time, Jang and Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok visited National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik to urge that the second comprehensive special counsel bill not be put on the agenda for the plenary session on the 15th. There is also talk that Lee, who is currently on an overseas schedule, is hurrying back to Korea upon hearing of Jang's hunger strike.
The People Power Party and the Reform Party began their alliance on the 23rd of last month by jointly proposing the Unification Church special counsel bill. This was the first time since the launch of the 22nd National Assembly that the two conservative opposition parties had jointly introduced a bill. Since then, the Reform Party proposed an opposition joint meeting on the dual special counsels, and the People Power Party responded, extending cooperation between the two parties centered on the special counsels.
Political attention is on whether the conservative opposition alliance could extend to the June local elections. The Reform Party had drawn a line against joining forces with the People Power Party, citing reasons such as a "severance from former President Yoon Suk-yeol" and "going it alone in the local elections." However, at a news conference on the 7th, Jang mentioned a conservative alliance and even wore an orange tie, the Reform Party's symbolic color, in what amounts to a "love call" to the Reform Party.
A People Power Party floor official said, "It seems Jang believes an alliance with the Reform Party is necessary ahead of the local elections," adding, "There is a mood within the conservative bloc that we must form a kind of 'anti–Lee Jae-myung alliance' to win the local elections."