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Seo Wang-jin (center), floor leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party, speaks during a general assembly of lawmakers at the National Assembly on August 12, saying that former leader Cho Kuk’s pardon and reinstatement are “a clear demand of the times to firmly hold the banner of reform” and pledging to use it as momentum to complete reforms. / Source: Lee Byung-hwa

The Rebuilding Korea Party (RKP) welcomed former leader Cho Kuk’s Liberation Day pardon, declaring that “the captain of the Cho Kuk ship has returned” and signaling plans to strengthen ties with the ruling Democratic Party ahead of upcoming local elections. The party is also openly raising the prospect of a retrial for Cho.

On August 12, political circles speculated that Cho’s pardon could pave the way for a merger between the RKP and the Democratic Party. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Jie-won told a YouTube news program, News In with Kim Eun-ji, “If our ideas and goals are the same, we should unite to win the local elections, general elections, and even regain the presidency.” He added, “I think it would be good to do so.”

RKP floor leader Seo Wang-jin emphasized closer cooperation with the Democratic Party to complete prosecution reform. “We will push for the swift passage of the Special Act on the Abuse of Prosecutorial Power to ensure follow-up measures such as the four prosecution reform bills, victim relief, and retrials,” Seo said at a party meeting. He pledged to accelerate reforms of power institutions and the judiciary, producing “irreversible reform outcomes” in collaboration with the Democrats. Seo also called for the prompt launch of the Special Committee on Anti-Constitutional Acts to prevent “another insurrection.”

Seo suggested that Cho’s retrial could be possible under the special act. “The bill calls for an investigation into the abuse of prosecutorial power, which became severe under Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, and depending on the results, remedies such as dismissal of charges or retrials could be implemented,” he said. On MBC Radio the previous day, he also stated, “I believe retrials should be conducted to restore victims.”

Despite the presidential pardon, political controversy persists. Critics argue that if the goal was to push for a retrial from the outset, the party should not have advocated for a pardon — and certainly not voiced such intentions on the day it was granted. Speculation is also growing that Cho could run in a by-election for the National Assembly, with seats in Incheon’s Gyeyang-B and South Chungcheong’s Asan-B now vacant following President Lee Jae-myung’s election and Kang Hoon-sik’s appointment as presidential chief of staff.

Acting party leader Kim Sun-min told the YouTube channel Jang Yoon-seon’s News Convenience Store, “We must step up prosecution reform and root out insurrection remnants. These forces remain active everywhere, and we must focus on major social reforms until they are fully eradicated.”

The RKP is also expected to push for lowering the threshold to form a negotiating bloc in the National Assembly. With 12 seats, the party falls short of the current 20-seat requirement and wants it reduced to 10. Lowering the bar would require amending the National Assembly Act, and would give the party access to state subsidies and committee chairmanships through inter-bloc negotiations. Kim said, “In principle, the Democratic Party agrees,” adding that the matter should be discussed in a special political reform committee.