Former Justice Minister officially launches his own party for upcoming general election

Former Justice Minister Cho Tae-hyung shows his fist before his acceptance speech as party leader at the founding convention of the Grand National Innovation Party at Kintex in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday. Yonhap News Agency

Former Justice Minister Cho Kuk officially launched his own party, known as the National Innovation Party, after holding a launching ceremony in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on March 3. Cho will serve as the first party leader. The party aims to "end the dictatorship of the prosecution early.”

Regarding the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Cho made it clear that his party will not clash with the DPK, saying, "We will do well only when there are many elected candidates from the DPK." In the opposition, there are expectations that the launch of the National Innovation Party will increase criticism of the current regime, but there are also concerns that it may make moderates leave their parties or hold back by prosecution reform.

The National Innovation Party held its launching ceremony at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday. The party members unanimously elected Cho as the party leader.

"I have been trapped in hell for the past five years. I had to endure the situation where my whole family was slaughtered," Cho said in his acceptance speech. "I could no longer watch the Yoon Suk-yeol government's backsliding, destroying the values of a democratic republic that we have protected with our blood and sweat." He added, "As the head of the Moon Jae-in administration's prosecution reform, I bow my head and apologize to the people for my failure to stop the collusion of political prosecutors and prevent the birth of a prosecutorial republic. "I believe that I was destined to end Yoon's prosecutorial dictatorship as soon as possible. I have burned the bridge to return.”

Cho said his goal is to "end the prosecutorial dictatorship early and restore the values of a democratic republic," and "create a 'Seventh Republic' where people's livelihood and welfare are guaranteed after ending the prosecutorial dictatorship." He also added, "The political circles and conservative media are talking about the 'River of Cho Kuk.’ But the river we have to cross is the ‘river of Yoon Suk-yeol.’ The National Innovation Party will cross the filthy ‘river of Yoon Suk-yeol’ and present a vision and policies to end the prosecutorial dictatorship as early as possible and create a new nation.”

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.