Cho Kuk, the leader of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, spoke at a party executives’ meeting held at the National Assembly on the 29th of last month. The party’s push to establish a ‘new land public concept’ has emerged as a new flashpoint for integration within the ruling coalition. When Lee Un-ju, a member of the Democratic Party, criticized the initiative, labeling it as “potentially unconstitutional,” Cho Kuk countered, calling it a “color politics offensive.” This exchange suggests the ongoing policy debate might hinder discussions on merging the two parties.
On February 1st, Lee Un-ju expressed her concerns via social media, stating that “the idea of state control over the use and profit from land poses significant conflicts with the constitutional spirit of property rights.” She characterized the proposal as a shift toward “a socialist system that denies capitalism,” and strongly criticized it.
In particular, Lee addressed recent speculations about a merger between the two parties, arguing that “it could shake the ruling party’s identity and governmental priorities.” She asserted that, given the urgent need for AI transitions and attracting global capital, the land public concept is “anachronistic,” and merging with a party that champions this policy is an “entirely different matter.”
Cho Kuk swiftly responded to these criticisms. On the same day, he wrote on social media, questioning, “It’s hard to understand why such color politics offensives are coming from the Democratic Party, not the People’s Power Party.” He further refuted the allegations of unconstitutionality, citing a 1989 ruling by the Constitutional Court, which determined that the land public concept itself was constitutional.
The debate between the two sides is expected to intensify with the launch of the ‘New Land Public Concept Legislative Task Force’ by the Cho Kuk Innovation Party on February 2nd. Cho Kuk is anticipated to reveal a detailed legislative roadmap during a scheduled forum, affirming his commitment to the initiative. The new land public concept aims to reinforce public regulation of the use and profit from land, rather than land ownership, to reclaim unearned income.