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Ahn’s new party officially launched

February 2, 2016
ep. Ahn cheol-soo and Rep. Chun Jung-bae, co-chairmen of the People's Party, walk up to the stage during a launch ceremony for the new opposition party at a gymnasium in Daejeon, Tuesday. The launch of the party came about 50 days after Ahn left the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, the predecessor of the Minjoo Party of Korea. (Yonhap)

Rep. Ahn cheol-soo and Rep. Chun Jung-bae, co-chairmen of the People’s Party, walk up to the stage during a launch ceremony for the new opposition party at a gymnasium in Daejeon, Tuesday. The launch of the party came about 50 days after Ahn left the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, the predecessor of the Minjoo Party of Korea. (Yonhap)

DAEJEON (Yonhap) — A new party founded by Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo was officially launched Tuesday with a promise to win a sweeping victory in the April general elections.

Ahn was elected to jointly lead the People’s Reform Party, a breakaway group from the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea, with Rep. Chun Jung-bae.

“The first goal is to prevent the Saenuri Party from winning,” Ahn said at a convention to mark the launch of the new party in the central city of Daejeon, adding that the ultimate goal should be becoming the main opposition party.

The new party comes after the two leaders announced last week that they will create a new united coalition party.

“The ruling and opposition parties have clearly shown how incompetent the 19th National Assembly was,” Ahn said, adding that the political landscape of the opposition bloc should be reorganized through the April 13 poll.

Ahn said he will put efforts into recruiting new faces into the party.

The party currently holds 17 incumbent lawmakers, three seats short of the number of lawmakers required to form a negotiating group.

Last month, Ahn broke away from the then New Politics Alliance for Democracy (NPAD), the predecessor of the Minjoo Party, to create a new party. Ahn formerly served as co-chairman of the NPAD.